


The Evil Within

by mitchkat1



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-20 22:44:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6028216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitchkat1/pseuds/mitchkat1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adrien just wants to find happiness, but the world keeps striking him down. First Ladybug, then his father. He simply can't win. In an act of desperation, Adrien forfeits himself to evil and decides that he is going to find happiness on his own terms. And nobody can stop him. (Warning: Will get a little intense in later chapters)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Marinette set down her pencil with a frown. She stroked the page of her sketchbook in disappointment, letting out a deep sigh. “This isn’t very good,” she thought sadly. Marinette had been trying to create an outfit suited for the upcoming winter. This was the first time she tried designing something like this and now she knew why.

Her design for a coat looked like a marshmallow and her knitted hat looked boring and droopy. Everything about the design seemed stereotypical and lame. Even the colors were bland. Successfully finishing this design would definitely be a challenge, but that was how designers got better. They had to challenge themselves and step outside their comfort zones. Marinette grabbed her pink eraser, prepared to start from scratch, when there was a tap on her shoulder. Marinette looked up and saw Alya, laughing. She was startled by Alya’s presence and knocked her sketchbook across the table. It slid across the surface of the table and fell onto the floor.

“You’re such a klutz!” Alya smiled. She bent down and picked up Marinette’s sketchbook. Marinette laughed nervously and quickly tried to put the book into her bag. “Don’t put it away!” Alya protested, wrestling the book out of Marinette’s hands. Alya opened it to the page Marinette had been working on. She was eager to see Marinette’s newest designs.

“Don’t look!” Marinette exclaimed as she attempted to steal the book back. Alya swerved around Marinette’s attacks as she examined the design. “It’s good,” Alya said, handing the book back. Marinette greedily took it and shoved it away. She didn’t want anyone else seeing it. “No it’s not,” Marinette sighed. “It’s boring and no one would ever wear it. I need to come up with something better. I know I can do it.”

“That’s the spirit. Don’t get down, girl. You are the best designer out there. I’m sure you’ll come up with something amazing.” Alya winked at Marinette. If Marinette was ever feeling down, Alya was always there to pick her back up. Their friendship was strong and they always had each other’s backs. The only reason at least half of Marinette’s designs ever became finished products was thanks to Alya and her motivational skills.

“Anyways,” Alya continued. “You were so busy scribbling in your notebook that you didn’t realize class ended. It’s time to go home. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend anymore time in this place than I have to.” 

Marinette glanced up at the clock and saw that Alya was right. She must have zoned out completely. It was hard not to. Most days, learning about French literature just wasn’t that exciting especially compared to what Marinette dealt with on a daily basis as Ladybug.

Marinette zipped up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. “Should we go?” she asked. Alya nodded and pulled out her phone with its mini-ladybug charm swinging along the side. “Before we go, I have some questions I want to run by you.”

“Questions? About what?”

“They aren’t for you, silly. They’re for Ladybug. I’m trying to find a time to conduct an interview with her for my Ladyblog. It’s been awhile since I’ve given the world a good update on the life of Paris’s greatest hero. I made some questions to ask her, but I need to know if they’re good or not.”

“Okay, read them to me.” Marinette felt a little guilty whenever Alya brought up Ladybug. Alya’s greatest passion in life seemed to be discovering Ladybug’s identity and in fact, Ladybug was standing right beside her at this moment. That was why Marinette never hesitated to answer Alya’s questions or provide an interview as Ladybug. It was the least she could do for her best friend. 

Alya pulled up a document on her phone and began to rattle off questions. “If one of them sounds funny or confusing, just speak up,” she explained to Marinette. “Okay, first question. How did you and Chat Noir meet?”

Marinette nodded her head in approval. It was a good question and one she could answer without much trouble. It wasn’t something she never publicly discussed, but no one had never asked. Leave it to Alya to break new ground. 

“Second question,” Alya read on. “Are you and Chat Noir in a relationship?”

“Woah!” Marinette exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. “That one’s a bit personal, don’t you think? What’s with all the Chat Noir focused questions? I don’t know if that cat needs any more attention. He’s already full of himself.”

“That’s just what the people want to know. There’s obviously something going on between Ladybug and Chat Noir. I can see the romantic tension between them when they’re out saving Paris. I just want to confirm the facts.”

“Maybe you better find out if it’s true before you call it a fact,” Marinette grumbled. She had no idea other people were so interested in her relationship with Chat Noir. It was purely platonic at least from her side. The kitty had a little crush though it was hard to tell since he was so flirty. But if people really wanted to know, perhaps she should answer it honestly.

“I think it’s an okay question,” Marinette announced after much consideration. “If people want to know, then someone needs to tell them. It’s better than having people spread rumors. I don’t know if you’ll get the answer you want though…”

“I knew you’d see my side of things,” Alya grinned with a devilish glint in her eye. Her journalist spirit was clearly shining through. “I have a follow up question for that depending on how Ladybug answers, but I doubt I’ll need it. Onto the third and final question. What’s your true identity?”

“That one might be pushing it.”

“Thought so…” Alya deleted the question from her list. She knew from the start it was going to be a gamble. It had been more of a joke than a serious question. If Ladybug had willing to answer that question, Alya wouldn’t be running around all of Paris trying to discover the masked heroine’s identity.

“Only two questions then?” asked Marinette. She expected a lot more. Normally, Alya was filled to the brim with questions and the desire for answers. Alya shrugged and replied, “I don’t want to waste Ladybug’s time. She’s a busy girl. Saving Paris is time consuming. Besides, these questions will get me everything I need to know for now. Well, mostly everything.”

“You’re really persistent, you know that?”

“Every good journalist is.” Alya gave Marinette a giant smile and thumbs up. Marinette sighed and facepalmed. She had a feeling that someday her identity would be exposed to the world courtesy of her best friend.

“Let’s get moving,” Marinette said, taking another look at the clock. “Almost everyone has left and you know we have a bunch of homework.” Marinette didn’t really want to do her homework, but that was beside the point. She just wanted to talk about something else. “Fine,” Alya jokingly huffed with a roll of her eyes.

Meanwhile, Adrien was waiting outside the school, sitting on the stone ledge that led to the main doors. He held his phone and scrolled through his recent messages. There was a text from Nathalie explaining that Adrien had been assigned to a last minute photo shoot. It was for a new ad campaign advertising a pair of brand name sneakers. The shoes weren’t the Gabriel Agreste brand, but the company was an important business partner. Having a model as popular as Adrien Agreste would surely put their shoes at number one and strengthen the relationship between the brands. 

Nathalie said the shoot would be starting at exactly 4:00. It was essential Adrien arrived early so he could have his makeup done and change his outfit. The Gorilla was supposed to arrive at 3:00 to pick Adrien up after school. It was now 3:10 and the Gorilla wasn’t here yet.

“Nathalie will kill me if I’m late,” Adrien thought as he prayed for the Gorilla to show up quickly. It didn’t matter if it was his fault or not. Any tardiness reflected badly on Adrien as a model and on his father as a parent and businessman. Adrien didn’t want his father to come visit him solely for the purpose of a good scolding.

“Dude, what are you still doing here?” a voice asked as a black shadow fell onto Adrien. The blonde boy looked up and spotted his best and only friend, Nino. Nino held his bottle of bubbles in one hand and his wand in the other. He blew into the wand and a spray of bubbles came out, floating gently into the sky.

“The Gorilla isn’t here yet,” Adrien complained as he popped one of the stray bubbles with his finger. “I’m going to be so late!” He tapped his leg up and down nervously as he gazed down the street hoping to see a familiar white limo come around the corner.

“Relax,” Nino said, taking a seat next to Adrien. “I’m sure your ride will be here soon to take you to work, I assume. Man, I’ve never seen a kid work as much as you. Aren’t there like laws against that or something?”

Adrien shrugged. He didn’t mind too much. It wasn’t like he had anything better to do. His modeling jobs rarely conflicted with his jobs as Chat Noir. Modeling was simply a means to an end. It pleased his father and kept the arguments to a minimum. He didn't plan on making it his future career. 

“You need a vacay and soon,” Nino exclaimed as he wrapped his arm around his friend. “You’ll work yourself to death and you have better things to do than be dead. Am I right?”

“Yeah?” Adrien questioned. He wasn’t quite sure where Nino was going with this. “What I’m saying, dude, is that you need a break. Take some time off. Take a trip to the countryside. Rent a boat. Go fishing. I don't know. Do something else. Anything else at this point. I worry about you.” Nino had a concerned expression and Adrien was startled. This was the first time anyone had cared about his wellbeing like this. It was almost refreshing.

“I’ll take that advice,” Adrien agreed with a smile. “Maybe I do need a break. A bit of time to myself…”

“There you go. Just chillax and breathe.” Nino’s advice sure was strange, but he was right. “I can’t exactly turn down jobs though,” Adrien thought. “Maybe I can spend an extended time with Ladybug the next time I see her. That would certainly be a pleasant vacation. I’m positive she’ll agree if I ask her.” Adrien’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud honk. He quickly looked up and saw the limousine parked outside the school, waiting for him.

“Gotta go!” Adrien exclaimed as he jumped off the stone wall. “See you tomorrow!”

Nino waved as he watched his friend sprint to the car. Adrien opened the door and jumped in. Nino watched the limo speed off in a hurry. It raced down the street, dodging in and out of traffic. “Poor guy,” Nino thought sadly. It upset him to see his friend taken advantage of by his own father. He hoped that Adrien would take his advice and find some way to take a break. All the stress of not only being a model, but a “perfect human being” as some might say, could pile up fast. Nino didn’t want to see his friend break because of it.

As Nino decided to head home, Marinette and Alya came out of the school. “Would you seriously watch that?” Alya said with a raised eyebrow. “I mean, it’s a show meant for little kids, isn’t it?”

“What’s your point?” Marinette grumbled defensively. “That doesn’t mean it isn’t good.” She and Alya were debating over a new TV show that Marinette had discovered. She found it while channel surfing with Manon. It was intended for kids Manon’s age, but Marinette had fallen hopelessly in love with it.

“I’m changing the subject,” Alya announced, no longer wanting to hear about Marinette’s fangirl shenanigans. There was something else she was far more interested in. “How are things going with Adrien? I haven’t checked in a while. I feel out of the loop.”

“You haven’t missed anything,” Marinette sighed as she shrugged her shoulders. “Nothing ever changes. Every time he speaks to me, I foam at the mouth and am unable to speak anything of any intellectual value. Whenever he looks in my direction, I slink away like a hermit crab into its shell. If I so much as hear his voice, I feel like I might faint. That makes it kind of hard to make any progress ever.”

“I think you might be over exaggerating. You’ve definitely gotten better around him. I’ve seen you two hang out before. You only act like a complete idiot a quarter of the time now,” Alya laughed as she patted her friend on the back. It was hilarious how utterly hopeless Marinette was. Still, Alya believed that Marinette would one day succeed in her romantic endeavors. That girl wasn’t the type to give up without a fight. Though it would be a long, painful, and cringe-worthy fight. 

Alya and Marinette’s conversation was interrupted by a sudden buzzing coming from Alya’s phone. “It’s a news update,” Alya said, unlocking her phone. She read what was on her screen and her eyes widened. “I have to go, Mari! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“Wait, what’s going on?” Marinette exclaimed. Alya showed Marinette her phone which had the newest headline in French news. Akuma Attack in Downtown Area the title read. “Ladybug will definitely be there,” Alya explained eagerly. “I can’t miss her. I need these questions answered ASAP.” Alya shoved her phone into her pocket and took off sprinting. It was the fastest Marinette had seen her friend run in over a year. There was no slowing her down when it came to Ladybug. 

As Alya’s figure faded into the distance, Marinette snuck back inside the school. It was practically empty since all the students had left and there weren’t many extracurricular activities going on. Marinette went into the nearest bathroom and opened her purse. Tikki came flying out, slightly agitated. “An akuma?” the little creature asked. Marinette nodded. It was time to get to work.

“Tikki, spots on!” There was a bright red glow that engulfed Marinette and her normal clothes transformed into Ladybug’s iconic suit. A stylish mask covered her face and she was ready for action. Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo and slid it open. Besides being a handy weapon, it also functioned as a phone, web browser, and if necessary, a mirror. On it was the newest news update. It was a live feed reporting from the sight of the akuma attack.

“All residents are advised to stay inside until the situation is dealt with by Ladybug and Chat Noir,” the black haired announcer explained. A picture of the akuma flashed on screen. It was a tall, red skinned creature. It was wearing a sweatband and running clothes. Around its neck dangled a shiny, silver medal. Maybe it was some kind of athlete?

Ladybug realized that this was no time to sit in the bathroom thinking. She needed to get out there and stop the akuma before anyone got hurt. Plus, she didn’t want Chat Noir to get there first and have all the fun. She stealthy left the bathroom and emerged from the school. She pulled herself onto a nearby rooftop using her yo-yo and swung her way to the site of the akuma attack.

As expected, chaos was waiting for her. The attack was taking place right outside Le Grand Paris which seemed to be a popular spot for akumas. The akuma was racing around, tagging people as if he was playing a game. When the people were touched, they were frozen in place, completely immobile. Ladybug watched in horror as people became glued in their positions, unable to escape. The akuma ran around at a terrifying speed. It would be difficult to keep up with him.

“Hey slowpoke!” Ladybug yelled, trying to get the akuma’s attention. “Up here!” She waved at the akuma from the rooftop she was standing on. Because akuma’s were fueled by anger or some other negative emotion, they were easily provoked and that meant they were easily tricked too.

The akuma glanced up at Ladybug and gave her a wide smile. “So you finally decide to show up, Ladybug?” he taunted. The faint, pink outline of a butterfly appeared on his face. This was a sign that was Hawk Moth was communicating with the akuma and probably commanding him to steal Ladybug’s miraculous. The akuma began to laugh. “My name is Speedracer and let’s see if you can defeat me in a race!”

Before Ladybug could react, the akuma had sprinted up the side of the building and beside her on the rooftop. “Not good!” Ladybug cried as she hopped down to the ground. This guy was fast and she would have to be clever to outrun him. Her legs wouldn’t be able to carry her even half as fast as the akuma.  
Speedracer ran back down the building and towards Ladybug, taking as many victims as he could in the process. Each one he froze in place made him move even faster. He stayed in the same place for hardly a millisecond before moving on.

He was about to speed towards Ladybug when a silver baton stuck itself out in front of him. Both Speedracer and Ladybug looked over and saw a cheeky Chat Noir pull his baton back. “You didn’t start this game of cat and mouse without me, did ya?” he smiled, revealing his sparkling white teeth. “Let’s see how well you can keep up with this cat.” Chat Noir bolted away as a distraction. He knew he needed to give Ladybug time to come up with a plan.

Speedracer, unable to resist a challenge, ran after Chat Noir. Lucky for that daring cat, running on all fours was more efficient than on just two legs. Ladybug watched Speedracer chase Chat Noir up and down the nearby buildings. Ladybug gazed back down at her yo-yo and thought, “He’s trying to buy me time. The akuma has to be in that medal. I just need to use my Lucky Charm and deevilize this akuma before Chat Noir gets caught.”

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug tossed her yo-yo into the air and there was a swirl of ladybug light. A long, but sharp red and black spotted stick fell into her hands. “Is this a javelin?” Ladybug wondered, examining the object in her hand. “What the heck am I going to do with this? I can’t shish-kabob the akuma.”

By now, Chat Noir was heading back towards her with Speedracer hot on his tail. He doubted that he could keep up this pace much longer. His lungs were starting to burn and his legs were close to giving out. “C’mon, my lady,” he pleaded internally. “This cat is getting close to the finish.”

Chat Noir raced towards Ladybug and that’s when an idea popped into her head. “Chat Noir, lure him in front of me!” she shouted. Chat Noir nodded and changed his path to run in front of his lady. He didn’t know what she was planning, but as usual, he would trust her.

The akuma followed as expected. He wouldn’t let himself be bested in a race by another unworthy opponent. He ran into position and Ladybug thrust the javelin towards him with a mighty hyah and prayed she had good aim.

Her ladybug luck was there to save the day. The javelin hooked the small metal ring that connected the medal to the ribbon it was dangling on. The medal ripped off the ribbon and fell onto the ground. “My medal!” the akuma screeched, searching the ground for its precious prize. Chat Noir saw the shiny disc on the ground and lunged for it before the akuma could get close. He threw it hard against the ground and a crack formed allowing a purple butterfly to fly out.

Ladybug ran over and threw her yo-yo at the akuma. It snapped up the butterfly as Ladybug pulled her yo-yo back towards her. The lid opened and a white butterfly flew out peacefully into the sky. “Bye-bye little butterfly,” Ladybug giggled as she watched it disappear.

“Miraculous Ladybug!” She threw the javelin into the air and it dissolved into red light that swirled around, returning all the akuma’s victims to normal. A purple mist formed around the akuma victim, leaving behind a confused teenage boy in a tracksuit. “What happened?” he said, grabbing his head. “Where am I?”

Chat Noir proudly strutted over to Ladybug. “Pound it!” They smiled as they fist bumped. It had become a post-fight ritual for them. A symbol of their excellent teamwork. “We’ve saved the day again, bugaboo,” Chat Noir winked. Ladybug rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t expect any less and I told you not to call me that anymore!”

“Ladybug! Chat Noir!” Both the heroes turned to see a familiar girl running toward them. It was Alya with her phone in hand. She had clearly been filming the entire ordeal. That girl never missed a beat.

“I’m here live with Ladybug and Chat Noir,” Alya said, talking to the phone. Ladybug assumed that she was livestreaming. Alya flipped the phone around and shoved it in Ladybug’s face. “Do you have time to answer some questions?” she asked eagerly.

Ladybug knew she only had a few more minutes until she transformed back, but Alya only had a few questions. She could spare the time. Her earrings hadn’t even beeped once yet. “Sure thing,” Ladybug smiled. “Ask away.” It would help that Ladybug knew the questions in advance. She had her answers all ready.

“How did you and Chat Noir meet?”

“We both turned up to save the day during Paris’s first akuma attack. It was purely chance if you ask me,” Ladybug responded, not even phased. Chat Noir stepped in front of her and smiled directly at the camera. “I pre-fur to call it destiny,” he interjected. Alya laughed, pleased to catch such a moment on film. Fangirls adored Chat Noir’s puns. They couldn’t get enough of them. This would definitely be popular on the blog.

“Second question,” Alya announced. “I promise it’ll be quick. I know you don’t have much time before you detransform. Are you and Chat Noir in a relationship?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

Ladybug and Chat Noir answered simultaneously with conflicting answers. Ladybug glared at Chat Noir and he smiled back sheepishly. “I change my answer,” he said, still maintaining a confident attitude. “We will be in a relationship. It is TBA at the moment.”

Ladybug scoffed and rolled her eyes again. Why was Chat Noir such a hopeless flirt? Alya blinked, a bit taken aback. She hadn’t expected this result. She genuinely thought Ladybug and Chat Noir were in a relationship, but it looked like Ladybug didn’t like Chat Noir in that way. It was time for Alya’s follow-up question.

“Is there someone else you like?”

“Hmm? I mean only like the greatest, most handsomest guy in all of…” Ladybug trailed off. In thinking about Adrien, she had let a little too much slip out and went into Marinette mode. She hadn’t expected this question and answered unconsciously.

She covered her mouth with her hand and let out a small gasp when she realized what she had revealed. Alya looked at her with wide eyes and Chat Noir was in shock. “Not good,” Ladybug thought. “I think I really blew it this time!”

She put her hand over the lens of Alya’s phone. “I think that’s enough for today,” Ladybug said quickly. “Oh man, I think I hear my earrings beeping. Gottagobye!” Ladybug swung away on her yo-yo, hoping that all of Paris hadn’t seen her awkward confession of love. Of course, no one knew who she was confessing to but that wasn’t important. It was still really embarrassing.

Alya and Chat Noir stood at the scene unsure of what to do or say. Chat Noir’s face had gone pale and there was a pained look on his face. “That’s all for now,” Alya exclaimed suddenly as she turned the phone to face her. “Stay miraculous!” Alya winked and then shut off the phone. When she looked up from her screen, Chat Noir had vanished. “Where did he go?” Alya wondered aloud.

Chat Noir had jumped onto a nearby roof and was hiding in the shadows of a chimney. “She likes… somebody else?” he whispered to himself. His heart shattered into a million pieces. Ladybug had always rejected his love, but she had never mentioned having someone else in her life. He thought he was her one and only. He thought he was the only boy who cared about her. Obviously, he had been wrong.

He realized that he only played a small role in her life. Outside of being Ladybug and Chat Noir, they knew virtually nothing about each other. She was in love with someone else this whole time and he never would have known. The duo couldn’t share all their secrets, but Chat Noir wanted to know more about his lady. 

He wanted to know all the little details about her. What was her favorite flower? How did she take her eggs? What style of dress looks best on her? He longed to know all of this, but now there was one question he needed to know the answer to. Who did she love and why was he better than him?

“I’m a fool,” Chat Noir thought. “But I’m a fool who doesn’t give up. I’ll convince my lady that I am the perfect cat for her. This is a fight I won’t lose!” Chat Noir let out a triumphant purr and raised his fist in the air. He wouldn’t let this bad news get him down. It would be difficult to win Ladybug’s heart, but he could do it. His love for her was deeper than any ocean and brighter than every star. It couldn’t be extinguished by her crush on another man. He would love her until the end of time.

Still, he couldn’t help but be hurt by Ladybug’s indirect rejection. His heart was sore and his mind felt weak. It would take some time to recover, but the next time he saw Ladybug, he would have to face her bravely. He couldn’t begrudge her feelings. That wouldn’t be right. Chat Noir wanted Ladybug to be happy, but he was sure she would be happy with him. He would find a way to make himself into the perfect guy for her.

Chat Noir leaped over the roofs, thinking to himself. There were a lot of ways he could try to impress Ladybug. He hadn’t even come close to exhausting his whole arsenal yet. Clever cat puns were only the beginning. There were greater things to come.


	2. It All Falls Apart

The next day at school was rough for Marinette. Everyone was talking about Alya’s interview with Ladybug. It had blown up on the internet and had even been featured on multiple news stations. The original video on the Ladyblog had almost a million hits. All of Paris was aware that Ladybug had a secret crush. It shocked people since everyone believed that Ladybug and Chat Noir were the perfect superhero couple. It had been assumed that they must have shared feelings for each other. Now, everyone wanted to know who the boy was that won Ladybug’s heart. Of course, Ladybug didn’t plan on telling them ever.

“Don’t people have other things to worry about?” Marinette sighed as class let out. She was chatting with Alya about the interview and it was obvious she was upset. “I mean, seriously. It’s not like it’s their love life. What if Ladybug wants a little privacy?”

“People are just excited, Mari. Relax,” Alya smiled. “This is big news. You can’t blame them. Besides, I’m sure Ladybug doesn’t mind.” Marinette rolled her eyes. “She actually does mind,” she thought to herself. If Marinette heard one more person mention Ladybug, she thought she might explode. Even Chloe had been talking about her all day. It was enough to drive Marinette insane.

“For real dude?!” Nino yelled, distracting Marinette from her thoughts. She and Alya looked up at Nino who was talking to Adrien. “Sure,” Adrien smiled at his friend. “You’ve never been to one, right? It’ll be fun.”

“What’s going on?” Alya asked, approaching Nino. “Adrien invited me to watch his photoshoot,” Nino explained. He looked eager to go. He always wondered what it was like to be a model. Sometimes he pretended that he was a model too, but that was only in front of the mirror at home and he wasn’t very good either. 

“Do you want to come too, Alya?” Adrien kindly offered. 

The reason he was inviting Nino was because he wanted to have some fun. The photoshoot today was a continuation of the shoot from yesterday. It had been postponed since Adrien had mysteriously left in the middle of it and they hadn’t gotten near enough pictures for the advertisements. Adrien knew that he left to go stop an akuma with Ladybug, but he told the director of the shoot that something important came up. Now he had to finish the rest today and wanted to bring some friends along. It would make everything a lot less tense and more enjoyable. It would also help distract him from his recent heartbreak.

“Can I bring a friend?” Alya smirked. Her eyes wandered over to Marinette who was standing by her desk awkwardly. “The more the merrier,” Adrien laughed as he watched Marinette blush and begin playing with her hair once she noticed he was looking at her. Adrien found Marinette’s weird quirks odd, but adorable. He had never met a girl quite like her before.

She had a kind heart and never hesitated to stand up for her classmates. Adrien considered Marinette the exact opposite of Chloe. But there was something about Marinette that always bothered Adrien. She acted very strange around him. She stammered and fidgeted nervously. Sometimes she would completely run away. More recently though, she began to act more normal around him. They would strike up casual conversation and helped each other out with classwork. He had even been over to her house a few times and was a big fan of her parents’ bakery. 

Marinette definitely still had her moments though when she would go nuts and act weird again. If he got too close, she would shy away. Whenever they accidentally bumped into each other, she would move her body as far away as possible. Adrien could never figure out why though. Was there something about him that made her uncomfortable?

“Y-you want me to come?” Marinette stuttered as she took a step forward. She tripped over her foot and fell onto the ground. Quickly, she jumped back up and rubbed the back of her head nervously. Alya groaned and Nino laughed in response. “Of course,” Adrien replied. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“If I die right now, I think I’d die happy,” Marinette thought dreamily. Adrien considered her a friend. All the worries about the Ladybug fiasco evaporated. Alya, noticing that Marinette was busy daydreaming, flicked her friend’s forehead. “We should leave then,” Alya said as she drug Marinette by her ear over to where the boys were standing. “We don’t want to make you late.”

The group walked outside the school and saw Adrien’s white limousine. Adrien led them to the car and opened the door, gesturing for his friends to enter. Marinette giggled, pretending for a moment that Adrien was a handsome prince opening the door to a magnificent carriage. The thought was amusing and not too far from the truth. Well, the handsome prince part at least. 

They each got in with Alya making sure Marinette had to sit next to Adrien. Once everyone was in, Adrien shut the door and told the driver to head to the photoshoot. “I’m bringing some friends along,” Adrien explained to the Gorilla. The driver simply nodded and said nothing. He was the silent type.

“What’s this shoot for?” Nino asked as the limo drove through the streets of Paris. “Didn’t you just have one yesterday? You got another job?” 

“About that…” Adrien laughed weakly. “I’m actually finishing yesterday’s shoot today since I had to leave in the middle of it before. Something... err… came up. It’s some sneaker ad for a company that’s partnered with my father’s. I don’t know too much. I just go where I’m told.”

“Wow…” Marinette sighed lovingly as she listened to Adrien. Alya swore she saw hearts in her best friend’s eyes. “It’s not that impressive,” Adrien replied defensively. He stared out the window with a sad expression. There seemed to be something on his mind, but no one knew what. Marinette wanted to ask about it, but was too afraid she’d mess it up. It seemed to very personal as well. Marinette didn’t know if it would be okay to pry.

Minutes later, the limo arrived at the shoot which was taking place in a building just outside the Eiffel Tower. The teenagers hopped out and Adrien showed them into the building. On the outside, it didn’t look that big, but the inside was humongous. There were people running around everywhere. There were models, designers, business people, and many more. It was organized chaos.

“The shoot’s taking place in here,” Adrien said as he led everyone through the hallway and opened the door to a large room. The room had giant cameras set up and a white backdrop. There was a rack with multiple different outfits. People were adjusting the lighting and some were typing on computers. The room was filled with chatter. Everyone had a job to do.

“Is this what being a model is like?” Marinette wondered as she stared at the room in awe. There was so much going on at once. It was overwhelming to someone with such a small presence like Marinette. This was her dream though. Someday, she would be standing here watching models wear her designs. It was exciting to think about. 

“You guys can wait here,” Adrien explained. “I need to go get my make-up done. I should be back in a few minutes. Feel free to look around.” Adrien walked off to another room where he was met by a beautiful, young woman. Marinette assumed she was the make-up artist. She looked like she could be a model herself. Was everyone in this place gorgeous? It made Marinette feel self-conscience since she didn't look anything like a model. 

“So this is what he does when he isn’t at school?” Nino said, admiring the room. Alya nodded and added, “It’s crazy, isn’t it? It looks like a lot of work. I could never do it.” 

Marinette agreed. It was incredible that Adrien was able to handle this. Marinette would have cracked under the pressure easily. People were constantly judging you because of your appearance. They weren't afraid to tell you straight to your face that you were awful. That was the life of a model. No wonder Adrien seemed stressed all the time. 

The group continued to chat until they were interrupted by a tall, official looking woman with a monotone voice. “Who might you be?” she said disapprovingly. Marinette recognized her from somewhere, but she couldn’t remember where. Her hair was black with a bright, red streak. It was pinned back neatly, giving her a professional look. 

“We’re Adrien’s friends,” Alya explained. “He invited us to come watch his shoot.” The woman took a deep breath and her eyes narrowed. Marinette braced herself to be scolded, but was greeted by a different reaction. The woman smiled and said, “I see. I’m glad he has good friends that support him. I’m Nathalie by the way. I work for Adrien’s father.” Someone called Nathalie’s name and she waved good-bye to the teenagers. “I’m afraid I have something I need to go do. Please enjoy your time here.”

Nathalie quickly walked off to go check on other business. “She was nicer than I thought.” Nino let out a sigh of relief. “I thought she was going to bust us for sure.” Everyone laughed, feeling relieved that they hadn’t been kicked out yet. They all stuck out like a sore thumb. 

Adrien came back with a change of clothes and makeup on. When he appeared, Marinette resisted the urge to squeal. She thought Adrien couldn’t be any more handsome, but she was wrong. The make-up complimented his already perfect face. His clothes suited him and made him look mature, yet charming. Marinette’s mouth widened as she admired him. Alya took upon herself to close it.

“Lookin’ good, dude!” Nino gave Adrien a high five. Adrien smiled shyly. He was used to getting this kind of praise, but normally it was just fangirls that made a big deal about his appearances. “I’d buy anything if I saw you wearing it dressed like that,” Alya laughed. She now understood how girls fell in love with Adrien based on looks alone. Marinette said nothing, but gave Adrien a smile. She wanted to encourage him, but also didn’t want to say anything embarrassing. Her heart couldn’t seem to calm down. He was just so handsome! 

“Adrien, we’re starting,” a man holding a camera called. He had an oddly styled mustache. Marinette assumed he must be the photographer. They usually were eccentric types. Adrien nodded and ran over onto the white backdrop. “Go through the normal set of poses,” the man commanded. “I want to get some test shots.” Adrien began to twist his body and make faces for the camera. He was used to this, but to Marinette, it was completely new.

She watched in amazement as Adrien responded to the cameraman’s instructions with ease. If Adrien was told to look happy, he put on a happy face. If he was told to act mysterious, he knew how to position himself to give off a mysterious aura. Any command the cameraman gave, Adrien knew how to fulfill it. He really was a professional, the best of the best. 

“Good! Beautiful! Perfect!” The photographer praised Adrien. Adrien had a genuine smile as he looked over at his friends who were cheering him on. For once, he felt like he was enjoying his job. He hadn’t felt this good as Adrien in a long time. He thought he should invite people to come to shoots more often. It eased the stress of being a model and made it easier to work. Sometimes smiling for the camera was difficult, but with friends nearby, it was the easiest part of the job. It was coming to him naturally. 

After a while, the cameraman announced a break. Adrien would be changing clothes and have his make-up retouched. The rest of the crew would get a snack break. Before he went to change, Adrien walked over to his friends to chat and get a drink of water. “That was amazing!” Marinette exclaimed as Adrien approached them. “You’re incredible!”

“Nah, I’m not that good. There are models that are a lot better. I’m still a novice,” Adrien humbly replied. “You’re really great,” Marinette repeated. “Honestly. Don’t sell yourself short like that.” Adrien always seemed to minimize his accomplishments. It was like he couldn’t accept how great of a person he was. He was too busy comparing himself to others to notice his own successes.

Adrien laughed at Marinette’s unbounded confidence in him. It was a hearty, cheerful laugh. This was the best Adrien had felt ages, not including the time he spent with Ladybug as Chat Noir. “Thanks, Marinette,” Adrien grinned. Marinette swooned a little as she made eye contact with his beautiful, jade eyes. They were filled with joy, something Marinette rarely saw from Adrien. His smile was contagious as Marinette found herself with a wide grin as did Alya and Nino. 

“Adrien.” 

A cold voice entered the room and sent a chill down Marinette’s spine. Everything seemed to slow down. Everyone in the room stopped moving and turned. Standing at the door was none other than Mr. Gabriel Agreste. Marinette had never seen him in person. He was tall and intimidating. Nothing about his appearance was out of place. Every hair was slicked back and he stood like a statue with his arms behind him. His black glasses made him look even more menacing. His figure demanded the attention of everyone in the room. 

“Father?” Adrien said, very surprised. It was rare for his father to make an appearance especially when Adrien was working. He was usually gone on business and only contacted Adrien to assign him jobs or have brief conversations. What could he be doing here in the middle of the day?

Mr. Agreste took a step forward and looked at Adrien with a vacant stare. Then, he glanced at Marinette and her friends who were standing in the corner. His forehead furrowed and his nose crinkled like he had just eaten food that had gone bad. “Who are they?” Mr. Agreste said in a spiteful tone. His eyes were an icy blue, the opposite of his son’s. 

Adrien frowned and replied, “They’re my friends. I invited them to come.”

“How irresponsible of you. First, you abandon your work and now you have the audacity to invite people places where they do not belong. I am gravely disappointed. Your actions are a shame to the Agreste name.”

Mr. Agreste showed no remorse. He was angry, but his face remained expressionless. Nathalie watched the scene unfold in terror. She didn’t know Mr. Agreste was planning on coming. If she had, she would have warned Adrien ahead of time. The poor boy didn’t deserve this criticism. He only wanted to have some fun and she assumed he had a good explanation for ditching the shoot yesterday. 

Adrien clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. “Did he come all the way here to chew me out?” Adrien thought angrily. Adrien hadn’t seen his father in two weeks because of work. His father hadn’t bothered to contact him in two weeks. There wasn’t a single phone call or text message, but he went out of his way to come scold Adrien because of a single mistake. Adrien felt tense and on edge. He was already feeling upset because of Ladybug. He didn’t need this on his plate now too.

“Is that all you came here for?” Adrien snapped. Marinette gasped at the anger in his voice. Adrien never got upset. Even against Chloe, Adrien kept his cool. Marinette knew that something must be seriously wrong if Adrien was lashing out. The situation was about to take a turn for the worst. 

“I’m so sorry you went out of your way to come here and yell at me!” Adrien continued. “What a waste of your precious time!”

Mr. Agreste frowned and called Nathalie over. “Tell him to calm himself,” Mr. Agreste whispered in her ear. Nathalie looked at Adrien and his father in shock. She didn’t want to get involved in this argument. She didn’t get paid enough for that.

“If you want to say something, tell him yourself!” Marinette stepped forward angrily and approached Mr. Agreste. She had always considered him a role model. She dreamed of being a designer as great as him, but it was clear he was a jerk and a terrible father.

“Adrien is working really hard! How can you criticize him like that?” she shouted with her arms crossed. Her jaw tightened as she continued to yell. “You’re his father, aren’t you? Maybe you should try acting like one!”

“Marinette…” Adrien put his hand on Marinette’s shoulder to calm her down. He didn’t need her to fight his battles. “It’s fine,” he told her. But he obviously was not okay. Marinette could tell from his broken expression and the sadness in his eyes.

“Adrien?” Marinette said, biting her lip. How could she make him feel better? Had she made things worse? 

Adrien said nothing and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut. He completely abandoned the shoot and his friends. Mr. Agreste whispered something into Nathalie’s ear again. She opened the door and Mr. Agreste walked out. She followed at his heels. Was Mr. Agreste going after his son or did he have other more “important” matters to attend to?

“We should go,” Alya said loudly. She grabbed Marinette’s hand and pulled her away. Nino thanked the photoshoot crew for letting them watch and then ran out with the girls.

“How could he treat his own son that way?” Marinette cried once they exited the building. Nino shrugged. “I’ve dealt with Adrien’s old man before. He’s a party pooper, that’s for sure. I’ve never seen a more boring and uptight dude,” he explained. Marinette was furious. No wonder Adrien looked so sad all the time. He had to live with a monster like that.

Marinette had always assumed parents loved their children. Her parents went out of the way to wish her good morning or bake her a sweet treat for dessert. They loved her just as much as she loved them. It was normal to exchange hugs and good wishes. Wasn’t that what family was all about? Wasn’t every family like that?

Marinette realized she was sorely mistaken. Not everyone was as fortunate as her. Some people had only one parent, some none. They didn't receive their parents’ love. Instead, they heard harsh words and heavy criticism. There were no hugs or kisses. No baked goods waiting as a surprise on the kitchen table. No silly family movie nights. There was absolutely nothing and that was the type of life Adrien had been living. 

“We need to do something to make him feel better!” Marinette decided. They couldn’t leave Adrien alone. It was times like these when he really needed friends. He had no one else to count on. 

“Why don’t you bake him some cookies?” Alya suggested. “No one could feel sad when eating your mom’s cookies. They’re the best in all of Paris!” Marinette happily agreed. She would bring cookies to Adrien before class tomorrow. She doubted that would be enough to make him feel better though. Some wounds were just too deep to fill with just chocolate chip cookies.

The trio parted ways, promising to see each other in the morning. Nino said he would text Adrien and make sure he was feeling okay. He would text Alya and Marinette afterwards with a status update. 

Meanwhile, Adrien raced home, frustrated and exhausted. He felt bad for leaving his friends, but he had to get away from his father. This was too much. The past few days had been too much. Why did the world hate him? He had already been rejected by the love of his life. He didn’t need to be rejected by his father too.

“What should I do, Plagg?” Adrien moaned as he entered the door to his mansion. It was empty, thank goodness. A little, black kwami flew out of Adrien’s bag and said nothing. Normally, Plagg was very silly, but now he felt bad for Adrien. He had never seen Adrien this upset before, but had no comforting words to offer. Perhaps it was better to let Adrien vent. 

Adrien entered his bedroom and sat on his bed. Plagg sat quietly beside him. Adrien took a deep breath and tried to think calmly, but it was no use. His thoughts were racing and he was extremely upset. He wanted to punch something. He wanted to scream. What he really wanted was to talk to Ladybug, the only person that would listen to his problems. She would be able to offer good advice.seeing her beautiful face would make him feel infinitely better. 

The door opened downstairs and Adrien heard footsteps answer the house. His father must be home. Mr. Agreste wouldn’t be checking on his son though. He would probably head up to his own room where he seemed to spend most of his time whenever he actually was home. Adrien hardly noticed his father was home when he was. That man spent more time in his room than a normal teenage boy. Sometimes Adrien wondered what he was doing in there. 

“I need to get out of here!” Adrien said, standing up. His sudden movement almost knocked Plagg off the bed. “Claws out!” Plagg moaned as he was sucked into Adrien’s ring. There was a green flash and Chat Noir was standing in Adrien’s place. “It’s a little early for a patrol…” Chat Noir mused as he looked out the window. Chat Noir didn’t mind though. Just being outside and running around would help cool his nerves.

Chat Noir opened the window and flung himself onto the roof. The sun was just beginning to set and Paris was looking beautiful filled with delicate hues of pink and orange. Chat Noir ran across the rooftops, brooding to himself. “I’m so sick and tired of him,” he thought angrily. “He doesn’t even know that I had to ditch the shoot yesterday because I was busy saving all of freaking Paris. Not that he would even care. He didn’t even bother to ask how I was doing. Maybe he would have noticed that I was already under a bunch of stress considering I’ve had my heart broken and have a bajillion jobs all the same god damn time! First Ladybug, now him! Why the hell does nothing go in my favor?”

Chat Noir was seething now. His rage hadn’t calmed down. His face was flushed as he thought about his problems. Now, he was upset about Ladybug and his father. He stopped running and sat down on a roof. “God damn it!” he screamed loudly. A flock of birds sitting nearby flew away in terror.

Chat Noir slammed his fist onto the roof and cursed. Nothing was making him feel better. A purple butterfly flew towards him, quietly. Chat Noir was too angry to notice it land on him. All of sudden, there was a loud, clear voice resonating in his head.

“Chat Noir,” it said. It was a deep, intimidating voice, but familiar at the same time. “I didn’t expect we’d meet like this, but you need my help. I can help avenge you,” the voice coaxed. His words were smooth and carefully chosen. He was trying to strike a deal. 

“Hawk Moth…” Chat Noir gasped. How was this happening to him? Was he so upset that he was being preyed upon by an akuma?

“I don’t need help from the likes of you,” the hero growled. “Get out of my head.”

“Ah, but you do need my help. I can offer you great power. I know it hurts to feel unloved and betrayed. You’ve been rejected by Ladybug and your father it seems, but we can solve both those problems together. Just let me help you. Please. This can be beneficial to the both of us.”

Chat Noir felt his grip on his own sanity slipping away. Hawk Moth’s offer was tempting. With the power of another miraculous, Ladybug surely couldn’t reject him and he would be able to teach his father a lesson. He could change his life around completely. He could have everything he had always dreamed of. His life could become perfect.

“No!” Chat Noir’s conscience screamed. “He’s the bad guy! You’re supposed to defeat him, not join him!” But the efforts of this voice were being lost. Chat Noir’s mind began to contradict itself. Didn’t he deserve to be happy? Didn’t he deserve his father’s praise? Didn’t he deserve Ladybug’s love? Didn’t he deserve it all? 

He worked hard all his life to be “perfect”. He didn’t complain during class. He never objected when his father assigned him jobs. He got perfect grades. He studied fencing, piano, and even freaking Chinese. When Ladybug needed him, he was there. He was a great friend to her, always offering his services. If someone requested something, he would do it without a second thought. He did all these things because other people wanted him to. He worked hard for the sake of others, so why hadn’t it paid off? Why wasn’t he happy? 

Chat Noir felt himself being pushed to the edge. Was getting revenge on his father really worth joining forces with Hawk Moth? Was winning Ladybug’s heart worth the sacrifice?

“I see you’re hesitating,” Hawk Moth scowled. He was so close to capturing Chat Noir. There was no way he could lose this opportunity. With Chat Noir on his side, Hawk Moth would finally be a step closer to achieving his goals. Ladybug would become a small obstacle and finally, he would be a step closer to ending this whole charade and returning to the normal life he longed for.

“Don’t resist,” Hawk Moth whispered. “Accept your new powers. You’ll be irresistible. How could Ladybug not love you? Women love men dressed in white.” That was the tipping point. Love makes people do crazy things. 

An evil grin emerged on Chat Noir’s face as a purple mist enveloped him. If he could have everything he wanted, it was no big deal to strike a bargain with Hawk Moth. If he could live in a world where everything was perfect, there was no price too high to pay.

The purple fog disappeared leaving behind Chat Noir, but he was different. Instead of his normal black suit, it was white like snow. His eyes glowed with an evil aura. His expression was ruthless. He opened his mouth to reveal sharp fangs.

“This is amazing,” Chat Noir purred as he examined himself. He could feel new power coursing through his veins. He felt unstoppable. He felt like he could take on the world and win. His trusty baton had turned a golden color. He stroked it greedily. The metal was cold like his heart. 

“Are you ready, Chat Noir?” Hawk Moth asked. Chat Noir shook his head. “The name isn’t Chat Noir,” the cat grinned. “It’s Chat Blanc.” Hawk Moth smiled from inside his secret base. Everything was going according to plan. “We have a deal then,” Hawk Moth replied. “Steal Ladybug’s miraculous and I’ll make all your dreams come true…”

“Chill out,” Chat Blanc snarled. “I’ll get to it when I want. Right now, I have other business to take care of.” Chat Blanc zoned out Hawk Moth’s voice and leapt into the sky. He felt reenergized like he was a new human being. He had no weakness. He was unbeatable. Not even Ladybug would be able to take him down. That was because his source of power didn’t lie outside him, completely vulnerable. His akuma was well-hidden in a place where no one would find it. Before he transformed into Chat Blanc, he almost hadn’t noticed where the akuma absorbed into him. It was the part of him that had been destroyed. It was the part of him he wanted to forget. The akuma had landed on his heart.


	3. One Miraculous Isn't Enough

Marinette sat her desk, staring blankly at her homework. It wasn’t getting done any time soon. Was there even a point in trying anymore? If she didn’t know the answers now, she wasn’t going to know them later. 

“Are you any good at physics, Tikki?” Marinette asked and she spun around mindlessly in her chair. Tikki watched her friend spin round and round. “Nope!” Tikki squeaked. “Go figure,” Marinette moaned. She decided it was time to give up.

Marinette stood up and stretched her arms. “It’s time for a break,” she decided aloud. Tikki rolled her eyes and sat on top of Marinette’s physics book. She crossed her little arms and pouted. She kicked Marinette’s pencil towards the human girl. “I don’t think so,” Tikki said, sounding like someone’s mother. “You better finish it now otherwise you won’t do it at all.”

Marinette grumbled and grabbed her pencil. She knew Tikki was right, but didn’t want to admit that. Besides, these physics problems wouldn’t do themselves and they were due tomorrow. Sometimes Marinette wished she had been given physics powers instead of her Miraculous. That would have had more practical applications.

Marinette gazed out her window. It was nighttime and the moon was rising high into the sky. Paris looked so peaceful. There weren’t any clouds or rain. It was a perfect night. Protecting Paris was hard work and it made Marinette happy to see that the city had its pleasant moments too. All that work was worthwhile because of tiny moments like this. Marinette took one last look before returning to her homework. Yes, all was well in Paris or so she thought.

Chat Blanc ran under the cover of night. He didn’t blend in as well because of his white suit, but he didn’t care if anyone saw him. “Where should I begin?” he thought evilly to himself. There was much havoc to wreak and it was hard to decide where to start. Paris was full of devious people that he had to remove. 

“Let’s start things off with a bit of destruction.”

Chat Blanc tightened his fist and a glowing, black mist radiated from it. With Hawk Moth’s powers, there was no limit on his cataclysm. He could use it as often as he wanted. He could destroy as much as he wanted. Chat Blanc looked around for his first target and smiled when he saw just what he was looking for.

A stuck-up looking businessman was yelling at a cowering employee. The businessman was pointing at the side of a building that had clearly just been painted. The paint dripped from the sides and onto the ground. The job was incomplete. “You fool!” the businessman yelled, about ready to slap his incompetent employee. “I told you to have this done yesterday! This property is critical to seal tomorrow’s deal and it looks like complete trash! I should fire you right here!”

“I’m sorry, sir,” the employee said, shaking. It was obvious that he felt bad about his mistake, but there wasn’t anything he could do now. The businessman continued to scream at the poor man when Chat Blanc jumped onto the roof of the painted building. “What do we have here?” Chat Blanc hissed. He bared his fangs at the businessman.

“C-Chat Noir?” the man stuttered, taking a few steps back. “Why are you here? I’m just dealing with my incompetent employee. Is there something you need? Anything at all?”

“Actually, there is. I noticed you were being quite the tyrant.” Chat Blanc jumped to the ground and stepped in front of the businessman. He leaned close and stared straight into the man’s eyes. “I don’t like people like you. You remind me of someone I greatly dislike” Chat Blanc said. He started to walk in circles around the man. By now, the scared employee had run of, not only frightened of his boss, but also of Chat Blanc.

“You think you know everything,” Chat Blanc whispered. “You think you have control and that you own this world. Do you have the right to dictate people’s lives? No, you really don’t. People like you don’t deserve to be happy. Not after all the crimes you’ve committed.” Chat Blanc touched his hand to the half-painted building. The businessman watched in horror as the entire thing crumbled to dust. Chat Blanc looked at his handiwork with a sense of pride. He admired his hand and said under his breath, “This is certainly stronger than before, but it still isn’t enough. I need more power.”

Chat Blanc looked over at the businessman with a devilish grin. If his cataclysm could destroy entire buildings, what could it do to a single human being? The businessman panicked as Chat Blanc took a step towards him. The man ran away screaming. Chat Blanc laughed and licked his lips. “That’s more like it,” he grinned.

“But it isn’t enough,” he thought to himself. “Who cares if I can turn things to dust or scare people? That won’t change anything. If I’m going to make a difference in this place, I’m going to have to take matters into my own paws. If I’m going to be happy, things need to get a little messy.” Chat Blanc wouldn’t be limited by the powers Hawk Moth gave him. He was too good to be restricted by an obsessive fool like him. He would handle his happiness on his own terms. 

The outline of a pink butterfly appeared over Chat Blanc’s face. “What are you doing?” Hawk Moth cursed. His voice was directly inside Chat Blanc’s head. “You must find Ladybug and go after her miraculous! This is no time to be tearing down buildings!”

“I’ll go when I’m ready, old man,” Chat Blanc growled. He was getting irritated with Hawk Moth’s interference.

“Don’t defy me,” Hawk Moth retorted. Chat Blanc felt his hands shake uncontrollably. It must be Hawk Moth trying to control him. Quickly, Chat Blanc got his hands back under his own power.

“Understand?” Hawk Moth asked. Chat Blanc could just imagine the villain’s smug grin and wished he could tear it off his face.

“I understand,” Chat Blanc replied obediently. The butterfly outline disappeared and Hawk Moth’s voice retreated. Once Chat Blanc was sure Hawk Moth was gone, his lips upturned into a cheeky grin. “I’ll get that damn miraculous, but there’s one stop I have to make beforehand,” Chat Blanc purred.

He thrust himself onto the roofs and ran across them. A familiar background came into sight. There was the College Francoise Dupont, the park, the plaza, and…

“Here it is,” Chat Blanc grinned as he jumped onto the roof of his own mansion. Without hesitation, he swung down and smashed the window to his bedroom. Avoiding the glass shards, he stepped in. It felt odd to be breaking into his own home. With his heightened senses, Chat Blanc felt the presence of only a single other person in the house. Nathalie must have gone home already. How perfect. Only his victim remained. 

Chat Blanc walked through the house, not hesitating to destroy everything in his path. He turned doors into dust and knocked over potted plants. Wreaking simple chaos brought him great pleasure. Chat Blanc heard footsteps from the top floor of the mansion. By now, his father must have noticed someone making noise. It would be a hassle if he tried to escape. 

Chat Blanc quickened his pace and began to run. He sprinted up the stairs and arrived at a large door. It was the entrance to his father’s room. He hadn’t been in there ever since his mother vanished. Gabriel Agreste had forbid it as if the room held some dark secret. An old memory briefly flashed through Chat Blanc’s mind.

When he was little, he would sit with his mother on her bed, cuddled beside her. They would wrap themselves in old blankets and lay their heads on the same pillow. Adrien always visited his mother before going to sleep so she could read him a bedtime story. His favorite stories were ones about superheroes who saved the world. He would see the Paris skyline through the giant window in his parents’ bedroom and imagined what it would be like to have superheroes in his own beloved city.

As his mother read the story, his eyes would droop and he would feel himself drift into dreamland. Strong, but caring hands would lift him out of the bed to carry him back to his bedroom. He would lay his head against his father’s shoulder and whisper his mother a sweet “good night” to which she would giggle and wave good-bye. His father would take him to his bedroom, set him in bed, and tuck him in. As his father left the room and turned out the lights, Adrien would yawn and say, “Good night, daddy.” His father would smile widely and respond, “Good night, Adrien.”

Chat Blanc shook his head, trying to make the memories to go away. He didn’t need those anymore. They were a part of his past. The past he despised. Chat Blanc touched his hand to his father’s door and shouted, “Cataclysm!” The door disintegrated and Chat Blanc stepped in, searching for his prey.

The room was different than he remembered. It was almost completely dark. There was no place for any light to sneak in. Luckily for Chat Blanc, he had night vision. He noticed that all the furniture was gone. The bed he spent many nights in had vanished. The room was so empty that every footstep Chat Blanc took echoed. It was void of the life it once contained. 

That was when he heard a strange noise above him. He looked up and saw hundreds of white butterflies flying around the room. Together, the soft sound of their wings moving became loud and vibrated against the walls. There was a mechanical whirl as the room’s window spiraled open. Light from the moon flooded in and it became obvious what Chat Blanc was looking at.

In the middle of the room was a serious man in a mask. He was leaning on a cane and had a permanent frown etched into his face. “Did you chase after me?” the man taunted, staring at the floor. He didn't make eye contact. His hand was clenched tightly in a fist. 

“What a disobedient akuma…” The man tried to sound confident, but there was something shaky in his voice. He wasn’t afraid of confrontation. No, there was some other reason he was nervous.A greater worry bothered him. 

“I can’t say I expected to find you here,” Chat Blanc laughed. His voice resonated and became amplified against the metallic walls. It made his laugh seem even more twisted. “But now everything seems to make sense. I always knew you were a dirty bastard, Hawk Moth.”

Hawk Moth’s eyes narrowed. He surveyed his opponent with a calculating glare. He didn’t know how Chat Blanc had found him. His hideout was a secret and an akuma had never turned on him like this. Normally, he could keep them under his control, but Chat Blanc was different. There was a burning passion for revenge unlike anything Hawk Moth had ever encountered. This akuma, he was dangerous. 

Hawk Moth’s grip tightened on his cane. A deep worry plagued his mind. Chat Blanc had broken into his home. Did that mean he had hurt Adrien? Hawk Moth stepped forward bravely, inviting Chat Blanc to fight. If that accursed cat had dared to touch his son, he would pay the price.

“You’re so eager to fight?” Chat Blanc said, running his tongue across his fangs. “I didn’t think you loved me, but you must really want me dead!” Chat Blanc whipped out his baton and extended it. He pointed it at Hawk Moth and declared, “I guess the feeling is mutual.”

Chat Blanc lunged at Hawk Moth, swinging his baton towards his head. Hawk Moth swiftly dodged the attack and stabbed at Chat Blanc with his cane. It hit Chat Blanc in the ribs, but it was hardly a painful blow. That flimsy cane would cause no damage. Chat Blanc tossed his baton aside and bared his claws. They were as sharp as knives. They probably could cut through steel.

Chat Blanc slashed at Hawk Moth, knocking the cane away. With Hawk Moth stunned, Chat Blanc kicked him in the stomach, shoving the man to the ground. Hawk Moth let out a grunt and looked up angrily at Chat Blanc. 

“You’re nothing more than a pathetic butterfly. All show and no substance,” Chat Blanc teased. He leaned in close to Hawk Moth and put one of his claws against the villain’s throat. One false movement and Paris’s public enemy number one would be decapitated.

“Damn cat.” Hawk Moth bit his lip, trying to ignore the pain his body was in. Bruises had already begun to form. He snarled and said, “I won’t lose this fight. I have bigger goals to achieve. Unlike a stray as yourself, I have people I need to protect.” 

Chat Blanc’s eyes widened. The idea of Hawk Moth having anyone he cared about was laughable. The man was ruthless and would stop at nothing to steal Chat Noir and Ladybug’s miraculous. There was no room for love in his heart. If he was trying to gain Chat Blanc’s pity before he died, he was failing. Chat Blanc planned on showing no remorse. 

Hawk Moth took a deep breath and tried to jump back to his feet. Immediately, Chat Blanc struck him back down. Hawk Moth fell against the floor and remained motionless, sprawled against the cold tile. 

“Enough chatting,” Chat Blanc sighed as he kneeled down besides the crippled villain. The cat spied a shiny object pinned to the top of Hawk Moth’s suit. It was shaped like a butterfly with a familiar looking stone in the center.

“Mommy, what’s that?” Adrien said, pointing at the brooch clipped onto his mother’s shirt. “Can I touch it?”

“Of course,” his mother smiled. “But be careful. It’s a special gift from your father. Isn’t it sweet?” Adrien grabbed the corners of the brooch. It was a lovely metallic color, but that wasn’t what interested him the most. The shiny stone in the middle caught his eye. “What’s that?” Adrien asked, eyeing the pearl.

“That’s called a peal,” his mother explained. “They come from the ocean. An oyster eats a piece of sand and after a while, it turns into a pearl!” Adrien listened to his mother’s words in excitement. How was it possible to make a pearl from only a tiny grain of sand? 

“Wow!” Adrien gasped in amazement. “It’s really pretty.” 

“Yes it is.” Adrien’s mother lifted him off her lap and set him down on the ground. “I’m going to check on your father,” she explained. “I don’t want him to work himself too hard. You play out here until I come back, okay?” 

“Okay!” Adrien gave his mother a toothy grin. All he could think about was her brooch. He was fascinated by the story about pearls. It sounded like magic. 

“I’ll be taking this,” Chat Blanc shouted as he pulled the brooch off. Hawk Moth let out a feeble groan, but didn’t have the energy to resist. There was a dull, pink glow and in Hawk Moth’s place laid none other than Gabriel Agreste. A pink butterfly-like creature flew out of the pin and across the room. It let out a weak cry as it gazed upon its master on the floor, almost unconscious.

“How the mighty have fallen,” Chat Blanc mused as he ripped off the golden bell that hung around his neck. He carelessly tossed it aside.In its place, he pinned the butterfly-shaped brooch. Immediately, the pink kwami was sucked back into the miraculous, not even having a chance to speak. It was trapped in the miraculous, just like Plagg probably was. 

Chat Blanc hadn't given much thought about the fate of his kwami. He assumed that Plagg had become trapped in the ring Chat Blanc wore in his finger. “Good riddance,” Chat Noir laughed to himself. He didn't need to worry about that lazy, annoying creature any longer. He maintained his miraculous powers even without Plagg. 

Chat Blanc reached his hand out in the air and a white butterfly landed on his finger. “Interesting…” he smiled as he examined the butterfly. “Despite you losing your miraculous, I still retain the powers you gave me. There really are no limits on my abilities anymore.” Gabriel Agreste looked up at Chat Blanc in horror.

This wasn’t what he intended. All he wanted was someone to steal Ladybug’s miraculous. He needed her power. All he wanted was for his family to become whole again. To see his son smile as innocently as before. He had grown so distant from his son, trying to protect him until he retrieved the miraculouses and could make things right again. He wanted Adrien to live the perfect life and have a shining future, but everything had blown up in his face. 

“Where is my son?” Gabriel moaned. He knew Chat Blanc wasn’t going to spare him. In his last moments, he needed to know if Adrien was okay. That was the only thing that mattered anymore. “He’s not here anymore,” Chat Blanc said with a twisted smile. His sudden movement caused the white butterfly to fly away. “He’s been replaced by someone much better. Don’t you think, father?”

Gabriel Agreste’s eyes widened. “N-no,” he stammered. He used one of his arms to help himself up. “You can’t be. It isn’t possible!” he said. His hands were shaking violently and his face was pale. Chat Blanc stood up and crossed his arms with a cheeky grin. “Who knew revenge was going to be so satisfying?”

Chat Blanc grabbed his father by the waist and threw him over his shoulder. Gabriel Agreste gasped as Chat Blanc took him and jumped out the window, destroying it. The shattered glass knocked off Gabriel’s glasses and cut his skin. Chat Blanc seemed to have been cut too, but he didn’t mind as small patches of blood appeared on his face. He felt no pain. 

“You deserve to go out with a bang,” Chat Blanc whispered to his victim. He sprinted across the Paris rooftops at an alarming speed. He was too excited. He didn’t want to wait any longer. There was only one place where Chat Blanc could finish off his father. Gabriel Agreste was a man of high status and importance. He demanded attention and when he entered a room, all eyes were on him. So naturally, all eyes would be on him as he died.

Chat Blanc gazed up proudly at the Eiffel Tower. It was shining bright like it did every night, illuminated by thousands of lights. It was the perfect sacrificial altar. Chat Blanc dug a claw into his father’s side, causing the man to cry out in pain. 

“Look,” Chat Blanc commanded. He forced Gabriel’s head upwards so he could see the tower. “Isn’t it lovely?” Chat Blanc purred. “It’ll be even lovelier with your blood spilled at the bottom.”

Chat Blanc jumped onto the tower and climbed up. He could hear the confused murmurs of the people down below. “They’re in for a show,” he thought happily. Once he reached the top observation deck, he grabbed his father by the collar of his shirt. His grip was so tight that any resistance would be a waste of energy. It was easier to accept death.

“Adrien, please!” Gabriel begged. His voice was wavering and there were tears in his eyes. His hair was out of place and there was blood on his face. Chat Blanc had never seen his father look so scared. His fur stood on end thinking about it. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and there was a dangerous glint in his eyes. Chat Blanc had never been more excited.

He stepped forward, tightening his grip. Gabriel gagged since Chat Blanc was almost choking him. Chat Blanc extended his arm and held Gabriel off the edge of the Eiffel Tower. The crazed kitty could see cars zooming by down below and people walk around innocently. But a crowd was starting to form. People had noticed someone up on the tower. 

“Good,” Chat Blanc thought. “I want all of Paris to witness this moment.”

News trucks and cameras littered the ground below. This event was definitely on TV. It would be headline news. 

“Smile for the cameras,” Chat Blanc laughed as he relaxed his grip on his father. Gabriel was being held by only the collar of his shirt. Chat Blanc leaned into his father and whispered, “You’ll want to look your best.” 

Chat Blanc looked down at the crowd and said in his proudest voice, “Hello, everyone! I hope you’re having a good time watching. This is only a preview of what is to come.”

Chat Blanc released his hand, expecting his father to plummet to the cement below. However, Gabriel wrapped his hands around Chat Blanc’s arms, hanging on for dear life.

“Adrien, please!” Gabriel screamed again. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I didn’t know. I’m sorry, son.” 

His legs had nothing to stand on. There was nothing between him and the ground. Everything had gone wrong. He tried to help his son, but instead ruined him. He had turned his son into this… this monster. 

“Perhaps I deserve to die…” Gabriel thought as he looked up at his son. The pale moonlight reflected off Chat Blanc’s suit, giving him an unnatural glow. The eyes he saw looking back at him weren’t the kind, green eyes of his son. They were the eyes of a madman obsessed with power. 

Chat Blanc pouted and shoved his claws into Gabriel’s hands. Gabriel cried out in pain and let go. Chat Blanc watched as Gabriel plummetedl towards the ground, but his expression wasn’t what Chat Blanc had expected. Instead of terrified eyes, Gabriel looked content. His expression was sad with tears falling from his face.

Chat Blanc scowled as he turned away from the edge of the tower. Even in death that old man was still trying to ruin his fun. “Whatever,” Chat Blanc thought. “That’s one problem out of the way. Now, there’s just one more thing to take care of.”

Chat Blanc looked up at the moon, amazed at how bright it was tonight. He couldn’t have picked a better night. For a brief moment, Chat Blanc felt sad that he wouldn’t be able to share it with his lady. “Damn her,” he scolded himself. “She dared reject me, but I’ll spare her life. If I’m going to be happy, I’ll need her by my side.” He chuckled at the thought of Ladybug wrapped around his arms. She would be putty in his hands.

Chat Blanc was so engrossed in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the sound of someone landing on the tower behind him. Angry footsteps approached him and there was a familiar voice.

“Chat Noir.”


	4. The First Face-Off

After a boring two hours, Marinette finally finished her physics homework. She didn’t think any of the answers were right, but she worked hard on them. That would hopefully be enough to satisfy her teacher. She yawned and got out of her chair. She opened her window and took a breath of fresh air. There was a calm breeze that put Marinette at ease. It was a pleasant night.

“Tikki, I want to transform and call Chat Noir. Tonight might be a good time to hang out for a little bit. God knows I need a break.” 

Tikki nodded in agreement. “I’m tired after just watching you do all that homework,” the little creature giggled.

“Tikki, spots on!” Marinette transformed into Ladybug and jumped out of her bedroom. She stood on her rooftop and pulled out her yo-yo. Immediately, she called Chat Noir. She was sure he would be just as eager to meet up. It was rare they got to spend some quality time together and not have to fight akumas. They were good friends and it was normal for them to hang out when they weren’t working. Chat Noir liked to call their little outings “dates”, but she preferred to call them “friendly get togethers”.

A green phone icon appeared on the yo-yo signaling that it was calling Chat Noir, but there was no response. “That’s weird,” Ladybug frowned, hooking her yo-yo back onto its string around her waist. “He usually answers right away. Maybe he’s busy tonight.” She didn’t know much about Chat Noir’s civilian life, but it seemed like he had his hands full often. He had mentioned having a part-time job, but he never said what exactly he did.

“I guess I’m going alone…” 

That would be okay too. It would be relaxing just to run around Paris and see the sites. That was one advantage of being Ladybug. It never took her long to get anywhere and she could see Paris’s greatest monuments from the best views. Most people aren’t allowed to casually sit on top of the Eiffel Tower after all. It was one of the perks of being a superhero. 

Ladybug swung through the sky, admiring the nightlife beneath her. People were out and about even though it was a weekday. Paris was a city whose lights never went out. It warmed Ladybug’s heart to see people enjoying themselves. That was what she worked so hard to protect. The innocent smiles of all the strangers she had never met.

That was when she noticed a giant crowd of people forming in front of the Eiffel Tower. There were news vans and people had their phones pointed towards the top of the tower.

“What’s going on?” Ladybug thought. “Is there some kind of show?” It wasn’t unusual for shows to be hosted at the tower. Ladybug had watched Mylene’s dad perform there once. She blushed as she remembered that moment. Adrien sat next to her the entire time.

Ladybug watched the crowd and suddenly realized that this was no normal gathering. People were shouting and pointing to the top of the tower. Her eyes traveled up and she saw a white speck at the tower’s peak. That speck was a human and in his hands was another person who was dangling for dear life over the ground. 

“An akuma?” Ladybug wondered as she advanced closer. She jumped off the roof she was on and threw her yo-yo at the tower.

Its string wrapped tightly around the metal base and pulled her towards the scene. “Ladybug!” People shouted as they saw Paris’s heroine appear. These people all look frightened. What was going on? 

Ladybug scanned the crowd and recognized a familiar face. Alya. She would know what was going on. Somehow, Alya always managed to find herself at the scene of trouble. She was probably here to report something for the Ladyblog. 

“Excuse me, miss?” Ladybug said as she pushed through the crowd to her friend. Alya looked at Ladybug with wide eyes. “L-Ladybug!” Alya exclaimed with a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad you’re here. Someone needs to stop Chat Noir and save Mr. Agreste!”

Ladybug froze in shock. What did Alya just say? That was Chat Noir up there? And why did he have Mr. Agreste? It was obvious that this had become a dangerous situation. 

“Please convince people to leave,” Ladybug said, putting her hands on Alya’s shoulders. “This could get messy and I can’t have anyone getting hurt. Can I trust you with this?”

“Anything for you,” Alya nodded. Ladybug winked and thanked the girl. It was good to have the people of Paris on her side when she needed them. It made her job so much easier. Ladybug ran towards the tower and hoisted herself up. She made it half way when she heard Chat Noir’s voice echo through the air.

“Hello, everyone! I hope you’re having a good time watching. This is only a preview of more than is to come.”

Ladybug recognized this as the voice of her partner, but at the same time, it wasn’t. This voice sent a chill down her side. It was full of rage and disgust. “What happened to him?” Ladybug bit her lip. Had an akuma gotten to him? What had caused him to become this way? “I have to help him! This isn’t like him at all!”

Ladybug continued up the tower when a flash of color came falling past her. It was the body of the person Chat Noir had been holding. Alya claimed it was Gabriel Agreste. Ladybug let go of the tower and soared through the air. She extended her arms out to the falling man who looked rather content for falling to his death. 

“Grab my hand!” she cried, desperately trying to reach his body. Mr. Agreste was a heartless man and a cruel father, but he didn’t deserve to die. Nobody did. Mr. Agreste eyes widened when he saw Ladybug attempting to rescue him. “How ironic…” he thought. Still, he didn’t want to die yet. He hadn’t accomplished his goals and he had to save his son.

Mr. Agreste reached out his hand and Ladybug gripped it firmly. She pulled him close and protected him with her body. He was heavier and larger than her, but she would manage. Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo and swung it back towards the tower. It wrapped around a metal beam and Ladybug swung down with Mr. Agreste against her chest. The yo-yo slowed their descent and the pair landed on the ground. Ladybug set Mr. Agreste down. She noticed that his face was red and he appeared nervous as he should have been. 

“What happened?” Ladybug demanded to know. She didn’t have much patience with this man already. “Is that Chat Noir up there?” 

Mr. Agreste was silent. He simply shook his head and buried his face in his hands. Ladybug was stunned. Gabriel Agreste was the pinnacle of perfection. He always remained emotionless, but right now, she thought he might fall to pieces. There were tears on his face and he was missing his glasses. He was covered in cuts and bruises. Ladybug thought she could have been looking at another person entirely.

“I need to know what happened,” Ladybug repeated firmly. This wasn’t one of those silly akumas attacks where she could summon her lucky charm and everything would be better. She wouldn’t be rolling her eyes at Chat Noir’s ridiculous puns and exchanging a confident “good job” with him at the end of it all. This was more serious. If that was Chat Noir up at the top of tower, there would be trouble.

“This is my fault,” Mr. Agreste sighed, still covering his face with his hands. “What a fool I am. I gave him those powers and look what it’s done to me. Look what it’s done to him.” Ladybug listened closely to his words.

At first, it didn’t make sense. The only person who had the ability to grant people superpowers was Hawk Moth. That’s when it clicked. 

“You…” Ladybug snarled bitterly. This man that sat on the ground before her was the cause of all of Paris’s troubles. It made complete sense like the final piece of a puzzle had finally been snapped into place. Who else could be such a villain besides the most heartless man in Paris? What were his goals, his motivation for his vendetta against her and Chat Noir? What reason did a fashion designer have for needing her miraculous?

Her heart sank as she remembered this dastardly man was Adrien’s father. It would crush Adrien’s soul to know his father was a supervillain. Adrien was a righteous and kind boy, nothing like his father. Ladybug vowed to keep this a secret from him. Adrien could never know. It would destroy him entirely.

Mr. Agreste finally looked up at Ladybug and she instinctively covered her miraculous with her hands. If this was a trap, she wouldn’t let Hawk Moth escape with her miraculous. Mr. Agreste grabbed onto her leg and rested his head against her knee. She flinched, ready to attack, but Mr. Agreste didn’t fight. Instead, he began to quietly sob.

“Save him. Please save him.”

Ladybug gazed up at the tower, realizing Chat Noir was still up there. She didn’t know why Mr. Agreste cared so much about Chat Noir. Perhaps they had some relationship she was unaware of, but it wasn’t important now. Her partner needed her and she would be there to protect him.

Ladybug shook Mr. Agreste off her leg and climbed up the tower. “Please still be there,” she prayed. “I’m coming for you. I’ll save you, kitty.” She hoisted herself onto the highest point of the tower and stepped onto the metal platform. In front of her was a familiar figure clad in white. She walked towards him with a nervous frown.

“Chat Noir.”

The cat swerved around and gave Ladybug a terrifying smile. “So you did come?” he taunted. His tail moved around like an excited cat’s. “I thought you wouldn’t make it.”

“What happened to you?”

“Nothing. I’m paw-sitively purr-fect.”

“This isn’t you, Chat Noir.”

Chat Blanc clicked his tongue in disapproval. “That’s not my name anymore. I prefer Chat Blanc. It has a much nicer ring, wouldn’t you agree, my lady?”

“I think I liked your name better before.”

“I think you’re starting to become a little annoying.” 

Chat Blanc raced up to her and grabbed her neck. His claws dug into her throat. She grasped his arm in a useless struggle to get him off. He was choking her. 

“Did you come to stop me?” he asked, cocking his head. “That would be disappointing since I have a lovely offer for you.” His voice retained its usual flirtatious nature while still remaining menacing. It was terrifying. 

He let go of Ladybug and she fell to the ground, gasping for air. She coughed and gave him a dirty glare. “What might that be?” she scoffed. He flipped his hair and offered her his hand. She grabbed it and he pulled her back to her feet. “I’d like you to be my queen.”

“The queen of what, you stupid cat?”

Chat Blanc paced around Ladybug, putting her on edge. She couldn’t predict what he would do next. “I’m a modest mam with simple goals,” Chat Blanc mused. “I want to change this world for the better and now I have the power to do so.” He gestured at the butterfly miraculous on his neck. Ladybug gasped when she noticed it. He must have stolen it from Hawk Moth. With the power of two miraculouses, Ladybug worried that Chat Blanc would be undefeatable.

“I want to make this a world where people can be happy. Where I can be happy,” Chat Blanc continued. “That’s where you come in.” He grabbed Ladybug’s chin and admired her face. “You look lovely as usual by the way, especially under the moonlight.” He ran his claw along the outline of her face. Her jaw clenched as she felt his hand. It was cold.

“My part of that happiness depends on you, my lady. I love you with all my heart. Won’t you join me?” 

He extended his claw out and had a loving expression. It reminded Ladybug of when Nathanael was akumatized. Despite being a villain, he retained his kind heart and showed outright affection for her as Marinette. But he had tried to kill someone as violently as Chat Blanc had. His face right now was one she couldn’t trust.

“I must refuse,” Ladybug slyly grinned. “I don’t date felines.” Chat Blanc hissed as his hand shrank back. 

“I’ll have you either way,” he growled. “Dead or alive!”

He lunged at her, prepared to rip her to pieces. “Not good!” Ladybug thought as she dodged his attack. In order to defeat him, she would have to purify his akuma and take away both his miraculouses. That was easier said than done. She couldn’t tell where the akuma was. Normally, it stood out since it buried itself inside an important object, but Chat Blanc didn’t seem to have anything. He had on his ring, the butterfly broach, and nothing more. Where could the akuma be hiding?

Chat Blanc took another swing at Ladybug with his claws. Fortunately, he missed. Ladybug realized that Chat Blanc was already looking fatigued. There was sweat on his face and he was breathing heavily. All this power was pushing his body to its limits. If he didn’t stop soon, he might collapse completely. “This is my chance!” Ladybug smiled.

She pulled out her yo-yo, planning to wrap Chat Blanc in it. She threw it at him, but he knocked it away effortless. “That children’s toy won’t work on me,” he laughed. “We’ve been together too long. I know all your tricks.”

He began to step backwards and politely bowed. “Anyways, it’s time for me to take a cat nap. We’ll continue this later, bugaboo. I hope you’ll come around and see things my way.” 

With those final words, he took off in a hurry, his body quickly fading into the distance. Ladybug decided against following him. She didn’t know what to do anymore. A fight would be pointless if she couldn't find his akuma. 

She returned to the ground where most people had left. Alya had done her job well. Speaking of her, she was still waiting around. When she saw Ladybug, she ran over nervously. “Are you okay?” she asked. Ladybug noticed that she wasn’t filming the attack as usual. Even Alya knew that this situation was more dangerous than normal.

“I’m fine,” Ladybug smiled softly. “But Chat Noir isn’t. Don’t worry though. I’ll fix things as soon as I can. Is Mr. Agreste okay?”

Alya nodded. “Someone called him an ambulance and they took him to the hospital. I don’t know much more than that.”

“Thank goodness…” Ladybug sighed. A headache was beginning to form from the stress. Already people had been seriously hurt. With Chat Blanc’s twisted delusions of change, she feared that he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt more. He needed to be stopped immediately. “I need to go,” Ladybug said, waving to Alya. Alya waved back and watched Ladybug swing into the distance.

Ladybug returned home and detransformed into Marinette. Tikki flew out of her earrings and sat down on Marinette’s bed. “What do we do, Tikki?’ Marinette asked. She hoped that in Tikki’s thousands of years of existence, something like this had happened before. Her kwami had to be able to offer some advice. Tikki shook her head in disappointment.

“I don’t know. No one has ever had the power of two miraculouses before. It’s unheard of. I would tell you to deevilize his akuma, but even I couldn’t tell where it is.”

“Awesome…” Marinette groaned. They were back at square one. Neither of them had a good solution. It seemed like the only way to stop Chat Blanc was going to be an old fashioned fight to the death which Marinette wasn’t willing to take part in. She wouldn’t sacrifice her friend that way. She would find some other way to save him.

Marinette’s phone began to ring. It was a call from Alya. Marinette answered the call, knowing exactly what she was going to hear. “Marinette?” Alya shouted from the other side of the line. “Have you seen the news? Chat Noir has gone crazy!”

“Yeah, I saw…” Marinette sighed. “It’s pretty scary. Hopefully, Ladybug will deal with things quickly.”

“Hopefully, but she seemed kinda nervous earlier. I could tell something was wrong.”

“Oh, you talked to her?” Marinette said, feigning ignorance. “Yeah.” Alya confirmed. “I was at the site of the attack.”

“You know I don’t like it when you get involved like that. It’s dangerous. You could get seriously hurt.”

“I know, Mari, but this was different. Normally, there aren’t any problems. Ladybug and Chat Noir swoop in and save the day, no problemo. But tonight, it wasn’t like that. She was scared and he was absolutely terrifying. Paris’s superduo has been broken up. I don’t know what she can do.”

“She’s Ladybug,” Marinette replied confidently. She had to sell the idea that Ladybug will handle the problem. It would do no good to have Paris scared. “She can do anything. Everything will work out. Promise. Anyways, we should get to bed. We have that French Lit quiz tomorrow.”

“You’re right. See you tomorrow morning.” Alya hung up and Marinette set her phone down. She rubbed her temples in exhaustion. “Why do I have the feeling this is going to get so much worse?” she moaned. She stood up and paced around her room.

“Why did he get akumatized?” she asked Tikki. “Something must have upset him…” Tikki watched her partner walk around her bedroom. Marinette was desperately trying to think of what had caused Chat Noir to be possessed by an akuma. Marinette gasped as a certain thought crossed her mind. “Oh no…”

“What is it?” Tikki asked. “Did you think of something?”

“What if he got upset about my accidental confession? God, I’m such an idiot. This is all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault, Marinette,” Tikki said, flying over to her friend. She sat on Marinette’s shoulder and nuzzled Marinette’s face. “Chat Noir didn’t seem that upset. There must have been something else too. Don’t take all the blame. You’ll tear yourself apart.”

“But Tikki…” Tears formed in the corners of Marinette’s eyes. She couldn’t help but think this was all her fault. She hurt Chat Noir’s feelings even if it had been by accident. Now she was being forced to take responsibility. She was the reason her beloved partner had turned into an evil villain.

“Marinette, you should get to bed. Like you said, you have a quiz tomorrow. Lighten up! Everything will be fine.” Tikki had a confident smile and clapped her hands together. Marinette nodded and changed into her pajamas. She got into bed and pulled up the sheets. Before going to bed, she checked the news on her phone. Sure enough, Chat Blanc was everywhere. People wondered what had caused him to go berserk and why Ladybug hadn’t stopped him yet.

“Marinette,” Tikki frowned disapprovingly. Marinette sighed and turned off her phone. She plugged it into its charger and set it aside. She laid her head against her pillow and closed her eyes. A good night’s sleep would help her sort through her thoughts and calm down. Marinette wished that tomorrow would be a better day.


	5. Nowhere Is Safe

Marinette woke up with dark bags under her eyes. The night hadn’t been nearly as peaceful as she wanted. With a yawn, she got up, washed her face, and changed into her school clothes. Tikki snacked on some cookies as Marinette prepared for school. Marinette put her homework in her bag and headed downstairs. Her parents were helping some customers and wished their daughter good-bye before she left.

Marinette arrived at school early. For once, she was glad to go to school. It would keep her mind off Chat Noir and give her some extra time to come up with a plan. Despite thinking about what to do the entire night, she had nothing. She knew she had to confront Chat Noir, but what would that do? He was clearly possessed by an akuma, but she didn’t know where it was. Not to mention, Chat Noir was harboring the power of two miraculouses. It was unheard of. Chat Noir now had power that Marinette couldn’t predict.

Marinette entered her classroom and sat down at her seat. She laid her head on the desk and closed her eyes with a sigh. “Wake up, sleepyhead!” Alya giggled, slapping Marinette on the back. The girl gave a yelp and sat straight up. She hadn’t noticed Alya sneaking up behind her.

“Morning…,” Marinette grumbled as she set her head back down. Alya pouted and pulled her chair close to her friend. Marinette’s expression worried Alya. Normally, her friend was chipper and bright all the time. She was clearly down in the dumps. And like any best friend should, Alya decided she had to turn that frown upside down.

“Guess who happens to have an article all about super-hot teen model, Adrien Agreste, which just came out this morning?” Alya smirked as she reached for her bag. She teasingly pulled the magazine out of her bag. The cover was a picture of Adrien modeling the Agreste line’s newest fashions. 

Marinette glanced at Alya and gave her a weak smile. “Sounds cool…” Marinette whispered. She didn’t show her usual enthusiasm. Alya expected her to go bouncing of the walls and immediately snatch the magazaine away. The article was a good one too. Though Alya liked Nino, she had to admit the photos of Adrien were stunning.

Marinette’s distant expression and lack of interest in Adrien made Alya begin to panic. Marinette wasn’t just upset. She was downright depressed.

“Is there something you want to talk about?” Alya said seriously. “For real girl, I’m here whenever you need it. I can tell with just one look that something is going on. Don’t keep it bottled up inside. It isn’t good for you.”

Marinette listened to Alya’s kind words and wished she could tell her friend everything. It would be a ginormous weight off her chest. Though Marinette couldn’t tell Alya the entire truth, she could tell her some of it. After all, Alya was well aware of what had happened at the Eiffel Tower last night. She had been there herself. 

Marinette looked up and said, “It’s not a big deal. I’m just worried about…”

“Did you guys hear about Chat Noir?” Nino exclaimed as he bolted into the classroom. He ran straight towards Alya and almost tripped on the steps that led to her desk. He was out of breath and his face was slightly red. “Woah,” Alya said, helping Nino keep upright as he breathed heavily. “Calm down. We know. It was all over the news and I was there. No need to rush.”

“I can’t believe it!” Nino cried. He put his hands on his head in shock. “He was like my hero, dude! But then he went nuts! What the hell happened?” 

Marinette moaned and slammed her head on the desk. Alya and Nino glanced at her, confused, but then returned to their conversation.

“I don’t know,” Alya continued. “I think he got possessed by one of those weird butterfly thingies. Ladybug calls them akuma. I don’t why they would target Chat Noir though. He’s usually such a carefree guy. I don’t think there’s a serious bone in his body and I thought the akuma only attacked people who were upset.”

“Everyone has their problems they keep secret,” Marinette said suddenly. She rested her head on her hand to keep herself propped up. “Chat Noir might have been shouldering a heavy burden that none of us knew about. Just because he put on a happy face doesn’t mean he felt like that all the time. Who knows? Maybe he felt lonely or vulnerable. Maybe he was just mad. Maybe he felt… betrayed.”

Alya and Nino were silent. They hadn’t expected such wise and introspective words from Marinette. “Is that what you’ve been worried about?” Alya laughed. “Don’t worry, Mari. Ladybug will handle this like I said yesterday. I promise that by tomorrow everything will be back to normal. I’m sure this is a piece of cake for her.” Alya crossed her arms and winked at Marinette. She had absolute faith in Paris’s superheroine.

“Isn’t that the problem?” Marinette grumbled to herself. It was easy for Alya to say “just leave it to Ladybug”. It was easy for Nino to think “that thing about Chat Noir kind of sucks, right?” It was easy for them to say those things when they were on the outside of the problem. They didn’t know what it was like to deal with it. They didn’t have to worry about saving their best friend and partner from himself and stop him from destroying the whole of Paris. Of course, Marinette couldn’t expect them to. How could they? For them, it was like watching a show on TV. It was exciting and fun, but eventually it would end and the hero would save the day.

“Where’s my main man, Adrien?” Nino asked, looking around the classroom. He spotted Adrien’s vacant seat. Nino gave a tiny pout and said, “I bet that old man made him work today. That dude sucks big time. What a lame-o! ”

“I don’t think so,” Alya frowned. “Mr. Agreste was a victim of the Chat Noir attack last night. He was hurt pretty bad and should still be in the hospital. I doubt even he’d make Adrien work right now. That would be cruel.”

“Adrien’s probably just visiting his dad at the hospital,” Marinette chimed in. “That would be so like him. Even though his father is distant, Adrien cares about him. He’s probably really worried about his dad. I feel so bad.” 

Marinette thought about how terrifying it must be to have your dad almost murdered even if your dad was the sole reason behind all of Paris’s troubles. She shuddered at the thought of her own father being hurt like that. The idea felt like a nightmare. How could you recover from that?

A terrifying thought crossed through Marinette’s mind. In worrying about Chat Noir the night before, she hadn’t thought about the awful realization that Hawk Moth was indeed Gabriel Agreste. Marinette clenched her fists in anger and her brows furrowed. Once he was out of the hospital, she planned to really give it to him. That man deserved a good beating after what he had done to all her friends and most importantly, Chat Noir. Not to mention, she wanted to get at least some revenge for Adrien.

Adrien.

Marinette shot up like a bullet out of her seat. “What’s wrong now?” Alya asked, rushing over to her friend. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

If Mr. Agreste was attacked, what happened to Adrien?

Marinette looked over at Adrien’s empty seat and began to panic. Yesterday, Mr. Agreste had surely gone home with his assistant, Nathalie. The chances of him leaving his home were slim to none after that since it had begun to get late. That meant that he probably had been attacked in his own home, kidnapped, and then taken to the Eiffel Tower. And who was also probably at home after storming away from the photoshoot?

Adrien.

“Alya, I have to go!” Marinette said firmly. She quickly grabbed her books and stuffed them in her bag. She was in such a hurry, she dropped on of them on the floor. Alya grabbed her friend’s arm, stopping her. 

“Marinette, you need to calm down. Everything will be fine. You’re overreacting. Besides, it isn’t your problem. Ladybug will take care of it. She always does. Tell her Nino.”

“The lady’s right,” Nino agreed. “Chillax. Leave it to the superheroes. It’s what they do.”

“You don’t understand!” Marinette shouted in exasperation. She pulled her arm out of Alya’s grip and picked up her book. “I think Adrien is hurt. He could be in serious danger. I have to go look for him.” Alya and Nino’s face whitened and they looked at each other in shock and then back at Marinette.

Alya gave Marinette a concerned expression and asked, “What makes you think that? Is this why you’re acting so weird? You just said that he’s probably visiting his dad at the hospital.”

“I know, but then I thought of something and…. Alya, I need to go. If he gets hurt, I won’t be able to live with myself.”

“If he was hurt, it wouldn’t be your fault, Mari. I know you care about him, but you’re overreacting. He’s totally fine. I’ll even have Nino text him to make sure.” 

On cue, Nino pulled out his phone and texted Adrien. He texted, “Hey dude. Are you okay?” He showed Marinette the text to help calm her down. Nino pressed the send button and off the message went. 

Marinette’s shoulders relaxed and she took a deep breath. “They’re right. Adrien is fine. You’re blowing things way out of proportion. If Tikki was out right now, she’d say the same thing. If Adrien had been hurt, surely his dad would've mentioned something to you as Ladybug or Alya would’ve heard something. Just calm down…”

“Ok, I feel a bit better now,” Marinette smiled. She sat back down and Alya did too. Nino returned to his seat and Miss Bustier walked in to begin class. Everyone else had been quietly chatting also about the news of Chat Noir. Like Nino, everyone was shocked. People considered him a great hero. It was scary to see someone so great fall from their pedestal and succumb to evil.

Miss Bustier noticed the nervous expressions on her students’ faces and clapped her hands. “I know what you’re all thinking about,” she announced, one hand on her hip. “Let’s not dwell on the negatives. I don’t like a bad atmosphere in my classroom so to cheer you all up, I decided to switch around some lesson plans. Today we’ll be watching a movie instead of discussing yesterday’s reading and taking a quiz. The movie is based on the book we’re reading and one of my personal favorites. I hope it will brighten your day.”

Marinette grinned as she watched her teacher prepare the projector. Miss Bustier was a great teacher even if the subject she taught could be a little stale. She always put her students’ needs first and had a calm, rational mind. When Chloe’s bracelet went missing, she tried her hardest to keep the situation under control. She didn’t pick sides and listened to everyone’s version of the story. Her advice had proved helpful to Marinette as Ladybug on multiple occasions. Miss Bustier truly was a great person.

“Nino, could you get the lights?” the teacher asked politely. Nino stood up and turned off the lights, making the room dark. The projector turned on and the movie began to play. Miss Bustier returned to her desk to do some work on her computer while the students watched.

Marinette watched the movie mindlessly. It was funny, but she wasn’t in the mood to laugh. Her classmates’ chuckles and side comments filled the air, but they weren’t enough to snap Marinette out of her funk. She glanced up at the clock and realized that they had only been watching the movie for 20 minutes. It felt like an hour. With her mind still focused on Adrien, it felt like an eternity.

“I wonder if Adrien texted Nino back…” Marinette thought, tapping her foot anxiously. She sneakily pulled her phone out of her pocket to text Nino. She couldn’t sit and wait any longer. She wanted confirmation that Adrien was okay. Marinette began to type on her phone when all of a sudden, the projector shut off and the movie stopped.

“What’s going?” Marinette heard Chloe yell rudely from across the room. Miss Bustier stood up and told Chloe to settle down. “Something must be wrong with the projector,” she explained calmly. “Nino, would you mind turning back on the lights?” Miss Bustier got up to examine the projector and Nino went over the light switch. He flipped the first switch and to his surprise, the lights didn’t turn on. So he flipped the next one. And again, nothing happened.

“Um, teach?” Nino said. Miss Bustier turned around and said, “What is it, Nino?”

“The lights aren’t working.” 

Miss Bustier raised an eyebrow and walked over to the lights. She flipped all the switches and the lights didn’t turn on. “Is there a power outage?” Marinette thought to herself. It seemed strange that the lights weren’t working. But there wasn’t a storm outside. Why would the power have gone out? Maybe something happened to the generator. It wouldn't be strange if some animal had accidentally gnawed on a few wires or if some circuits blew out. 

“Can everyone sitting near a window open the blinds to let some light in?” Miss Bustier asked. “I’m going to phone Mr. Damocles.” She reached over for the phone when there a loud crash from outside the classroom. “What was that?” Chloe yelled again. Marinette watched as the scared blonde clung to Sabrina for dear life. As if that would do much to protect her. If Marinette needed to be saved in a dangerous situation, she’d rather place her bets on Kim. At least he could outrun anyone dangerous.

“Calm down, everyone!” Miss Bustier said. “I’m sure it’s nothing. I’ll go out and check.” There were more sounds coming from outside the hall. The students were noticeably worried now. “What could it be?” Nathanael whispered. “I bet I could take it,” Kim boasted proudly. “I wonder if it’s terrifying,” Juleka added in an excited tone.

The sound was getting louder and louder. It was starting to hurt Marinette’s ears. “What is that noise?” she thought. “It’s awful. It sounds like claws being scraped across the wall…”

Marinette watched Miss Bustier approached the door, prepared to open it and check outside. The noise had reached its peak and it sounded like it was right outside now. Miss Bustier reached for the door handle and Marinette jumped out of her seat and exclaimed, “Get away from the door!” In shock, Miss Bustier jumped backwards and just in time. The moment she moved, the door crumbled to pieces and in the doorway was a frightening, white cat.

“It’s Chat Noir!” the class exclaimed. Chat Noir stepped inside with an evil grin. “My, my…” he clicked his tongue. “I see this place is just as boring as ever. I’m glad I decided to stop by and make some changes. And by the way, the name’s Chat Blanc. Make that mistake again and I’ll have your head!”

“Everyone, get to the back of room!” Marinette commanded. Alya gave Marinette a surprised expression, but quickly followed her friend’s instructions. She helped funnel people towards the back with Nino’s assistance. She wasn’t sure what Marinette was planning, but she sounded confident. This was one situation where Alya would just have to trust her. This was going to get dangerous. 

“Don’t touch me,” Chloe snorted in disgust as Alya grabbed her hand and pulled her to the back of the room. “Not the time,” Alya hissed. This wasn’t a good time to deal with Chloe’s nonsense. Chloe shut her mouth and obediently followed. Even she was beginning to realize the gravity of the situation. 

Chat Blanc stood in the front of classroom and sat down on top of Miss Bustier’s desk. “The view is better from down here,” he purred. “I always wondered what it was like to be the teacher.” He rubbed the desk as if he felt some immense satisfaction from it. Almost as if being in the front of classroom gave him power. All the student’s frightened eyes were on him.

He watched them shake and whisper to each other nervously. He watched Alya and Nino try to hold people back in a vain attempt to protect him. Mylene was crouched down in a ball, close to tears, with Ivan hovering over, trying to shield her from the sight of Chat Blanc. Kim had his fists clenched, ready to fight. Even Max and Nathanael seemed prepared to take action if it meant protecting their classmates.

Chat Blanc was pleased to see their varying expressions. People rarely showed such intense emotion. It was refreshing to see what they were really thinking. When in danger, no one could hide their true thoughts. That was when Chat Blanc noticed one person unlike the rest. There was one person that wasn’t showing any signs of fear. Someone who stood their ground. They walked out from behind their desk and stood in the center of the classroom, staring straight at Chat Blanc.

It was Marinette.

“Her?” Chat Blanc thought in surprise. “What’s she doing? I thought she was smarter than that. I’ve never seen a bigger fool.” 

Chat Blanc smiled at her and casually walked over to the window. Marinette watched carefully as he pulled up the blinds and opened the window. He leaned on the window sill and smiled. “It’s such a beautiful day outside, don’t you think? The birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and oh look. What lovely butterflies.”

A group of white butterflies quietly flew into the classroom. Amidst the dark, they seemed to have a strange, luminescent glow. Chat Blanc shut the window and closed the blinds. “Too bad I like the dark,” he grinned. He reached his hand into the air and one of the butterflies landed delicately on it. He put one claw over it and there was a black mist that surrounded his hand. When he removed it, the butterfly had turned a violent purple.

Marinette gasped as she watched the purple butterfly get released back into the air. “That power,” she thought in horror. “That’s what Hawk Moth used to akumatize people. What is this cat planning?”

“Don’t be so scared,” Chat Blanc grinned. His fangs were prominent, making Marinette uneasy. She could only imagine what would happen if he dared to use them. He could easily rip her to pieces. 

“I won’t hurt you…” Chat Blanc continued. “That is if you all behave. I came here for just one reason.” Chat Blanc swerved around and looked at Miss Bustier, who had backed herself into the corner of the room. She paled as Chat Blanc stepped towards her. A scared whimper escaped from her mouth. 

“I never liked teachers,” he began. “They can be cruel, vicious even. They have such high expectations of their students. Do you know how stressful it is to be a student? Do you know how hard it is to live like that? My dear teacher, do you know how hard it is to live a life where you don’t measure up to anyone’s expectations? When you aren’t good enough for anyone?”

Marinette’s heart stung as she listened to Chat Blanc’s words. It was clear that it wasn’t Miss Bustier he was upset at. He was upset at her, Ladybug. He felt like he had disappointed her. He felt that he was worthless in her eyes. Ever since they first met, he tried desperately to live up to not only her expectations, but the expectations of all of France. Now, he was projecting his anger onto whoever got in his way. Right now, it was her innocent teacher. 

The akuma was flying dangerously close to Miss Bustier now. “Is Chat Blanc planning on turning her into an akuma?” Marinette wondered. “She isn’t upset though. What good would that do?”

Chat Blanc chuckled. “You’ve all seen these little things before, right?” he grinned as he pointed up at the butterfly. “I’ll let you in on a secret since I like you all. These creatures can do more than turn people into villains. They don’t just take control of people’s emotions and harbor them for power. They can control people’s minds, turn them into mindless slaves, but they can be even better than that. Yes, they can even steal people’s lives if I desire.”

The akuma almost landed on top of Miss Bustier’s head when Marinette sprinted from the center of the classroom and jumped in front of Chat Blanc. She grabbed the akuma in her hands, damaging its wings. The insect crumpled to the ground and fluttered its crushed wings in a vain attempt to fly. “Don’t you dare touch her,” Marinette growled.

Chat Blanc looked at the fallen akuma in shock. “That should have killed you…” he said quietly. “What’s going on?” he thought. “The instant it touched her, she should have died.”

Marinette examined her hands also very surprised. The magic of Ladybug must have protected her. She always had wondered what would happen if she touched an akuma. Her Ladybug powers must have been too strong and kept her protected from the akuma’s evil. She was the only one who could purify them of course. If only Chat Noir was also so lucky.

“I won’t go down that easily,” Marinette smirked. If she was going to take down Chat Blanc, she would treat him like anything other supervillain. She would sass them and irritate them. They would eventually slip up, giving her an opportunity to attack. Though she usually had Chat Noir on her side, not as her enemy and was usually Ladybug. Maybe this was easier said than done.

“You’re interesting,” Chat Blanc smirked. “I didn’t know you had it in you. You were always a quiet girl, weren’t you?”

“How do you know me like that?”

“I have my ways. A little blonde-haired birdie told me, you could say.”

Adrien.

“So you have seen Adrien?” Marinette yelled. Her face was turning red from anger. Her worst fear was about to be confirmed. “Where is he? Did you hurt him?” Her voice was becoming hoarse from the yelling and her blood was pumping fast.

“That boring guy?” Chat Blanc asked. “He wasn’t ‘feline’ too good before, but don’t worry. He’s all better now.” 

Marinette’s eyes widened as tears began to form. They streamed down her face and she couldn’t stop them. “W-what does he mean?” she panicked. “He… he hurt Adrien! Even if he is possessed by an akuma, I’ll never forgive him!” Marinette’s knees went weak. She felt ready to collapse, but she had to stand her ground. She needed to find a way to help her classmates escape.

“What’s wrong?” Chat Blanc jokingly pouted. “You seem upset.” He was speaking in a whiny, sing-songy voice. “Are you worried? Do you want to see him?”

Marinette gained a new hope. “He’s still alive?” She breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Adrien was still okay. “I want to see him,” Marinette demanded.

“I like your ‘cat’titude, Princess,” Chat Blanc smirked. “I admire people like you who stand up for others. We have similar goals. We’ll get along just fine.”

“I’m nothing like you.”

“Whatever you say, little lady,” Chat Blanc shrugged. “Anyways, I’ll let you meet up with Adrien. Meet me by my lovely statue in the park tonight at 10:00. Bring anyone else and you’re as good as dead. Looks like my work here is done. I’ll see you then.”

Chat Blanc winked at Marinette and walked out of the room while whistling. Marinette poked her head out the door and watched him run off, probably to terrorize more people.

Once he was gone, Marinette sank to her knees. She buried her head in her hands, trying to understand what just happened. “That couldn’t be him,” she thought. “He still uses stupid cat puns and flirts, but he almost killed people!” She was shaking and could feel Tikki moving around her purse. The kwami must have heard the entire thing. Marinette needed to transform and chase after Chat Blanc. Now that she knew how dangerous he really was, she couldn’t sit back anymore.

Marinette felt a warm hand on her back. It was Alya. Alya wrapped her arms around Marinette and hugged her. “That was really brave,” Alya commended her friend. “But super dangerous. Are you crazy? You could’ve been hurt. Chat Blanc said those butterflies could kill.”

“I’m fine,” Marinette sighed. Alya helped her stand up. Her legs were a little wobbly, but she was able to manage. “Are you going to meet him?” Alya asked. Marinette slowly nodded. She had to. She had no choice. If it meant seeing and protecting Adrien, she would give her life. It was a risk she was willing to take.

Nino was helping Miss Bustier who was still shaken from the event. “E-Everyone please go home immediately,” she said in a wavering voice. “Don’t worry about homework. Class is postponed for a while.” 

The students quickly gathered their belongings and filed out the door. They exchanged hushed good-byes and hurried home. Marinette made sure Miss Bustier was okay and then decided to leave with Alya and Nino. The entire walk home was dead silent.


	6. The Reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to preface this chapter by saying that I have not and will not watch the Origins episode until it comes out in France. Therefore, this story might contradict what has recently become canon (I honestly have no clue though), so please don't be too bothered by this. Also, please try to keep all spoilers out of reviews and comments. It's greatly appreciated by me and others who are waiting to see the Origins episode. :)

As soon as Marinette made it home, she was ambushed by her parents. "We heard about the attack at school," Sabine exclaimed. She examined her daughter for any cuts and bruises. "Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay."

"Mama."

"Oh Tom, what if she's hurt. Should we call a doctor?"

"Mama."

"I don't know if I could live with myself it she got hurt."

"MAMA!"

Sabine and Tom turned to their daughter. "I'm fine," Marinette smiled softly. It warmed her heart to know that her parents cared so much, but they were overreacting. She was fine. Marinette was a little worried though that if they ever found out she was Ladybug that they would absolutely flip!

Sabine and Tom hugged their little girl tight. She was the most precious part of their lives. The thought of losing her was too much to bear. Every parent felt the same way. Marinette hugged her parents back and even Tikki got in on the hug from inside Marinette's purse. Once everyone had calmed down, Marinette told her parents she had some "work" to do and walked upstairs.

Once Marinette got safely into her bedroom, she opened her purse and Tikki came barreling out. "Tikki, this has gotten out of hand!" Marinette moaned. She tossed her backpack into the corner. "No akuma has ever been this insane. And even worse, he has Adrien!"

Marinette's thoughts rushed back to the sweet, innocent boy who had been the subject of her admiration since they first met. He had already been under a lot of stress after his father randomly appeared at the photoshoot. He probably was sitting home, alone and depressed, when Chat Blanc attacked. Adrien was the perfect victim since a tiny boy like him wouldn't stand much of a chance against a powerful akuma. It was like a mouse up against a vicious cat.

"I'm going to save Adrien!" Marinette vowed. "I'll meet Chat Blanc as Marinette just to make sure Adrien is okay and then right after, I'm going to transform and purify that akuma. I'm sure Chat Noir is suffering just as much as the rest of us. He's my partner. I can't let this go any further."

"That's the spirit!" Tikki smiled, clapping her hands. "You just needed a little time to think and now you're ready to go. You really are a great Ladybug!"

"Thanks, Tikki," Marinette giggled. It felt good to laugh after a stressful day. It gave Marinette hope for the future. She couldn't stress over this akuma attack. In less than a week, everything would be back to normal and she and Chat Noir would be laughing about it like it was a joke. Everything would be fine.

"I'm gonna take a nap," Marinette yawned. "Can you wake me up at 9:00?" Tikki nodded and Marinette got into her bed. It was going to take a lot of energy to keep up with Chat Blanc. Marinette predicted she was going to have a busy night.

Tikki woke Marinette up at 9:00 on the dot. Marinette jumped out of bed and grabbed her purse. Tikki flew inside. Then, Marinette walked downstairs quietly. Her parents had already finished closing up the bakery for the night and were watching TV in the bedroom. They couldn't hear Marinette leaving the house. She just prayed they wouldn't spy her walking away outside from their window. Marinette opened the bakery's front door and snuck out.

She entered the park and stood in front of the Ladybug and Chat Noir statue. It was 9:15. She was extremely early, but she didn't want to take any risks. Tikki poked her head out of the purse. "Is he here yet?" she asked. Marinette shook her head. "He might not be here for a while, but you need to stay hidden. I don't want Chat Blanc to freak out and figure out I'm Ladybug. He might hurt Adrien and if anything happens to you, then there is no Ladybug to save the day."

"Got it." Tikki sank back into her fabric hut, but she listened closely to what was going on outside.

Marinette checked her phone. It was 9:30 now. The park was completely empty. The moon was out, but dark clouds covered its light. There was no one walking around, so the entire area was eerily silent. The whole environment had a creepy, ominous feeling. Marinette wished she was sitting safe in her room or running across the roofs of Paris with Chat Noir. She would feel safer then.

A sudden shadow appeared, looming over Marinette. With a gasp, she turned around and looked at the top of the statue. On top stood Chat Blanc in a triumphant pose. He seemed excited and had a jolly smile. His hair was even messier than usual and his eyes appeared to glow. For a moment, he looked like the normal Chat Noir who was just excited to be running around outside. Marinette half-expected a cat pun to come out of his mouth.

"Heya, Princess," Chat Blanc purred, jumping down beside her. "I had a feeling you'd come early. You couldn't wait to see me?"

"Let's go with that…" Marinette replied slowly. Part of her wanted to joke around since Chat Blanc was acting so casual. It was almost like being around the normal Chat Noir. But she stopped herself. He was an akuma and would be unpredictable. It was like the time with Nathanael when he became the Evillustrator. He was kind and loving at first, but one wrong comment sent him into a frenzy. Akumas shouldn't be messed around with.

"I'd love to show you what you came here for, but I'm afraid this isn't the right spot," Chat Noir grinned. He scooped up Marinette bridal style and jumped to the sky. Marinette screamed, not ready to suddenly be airborne. Chat Noir laughed as he jumped off windows and trees until finally they were on top of a familiar building. It was the College Francoise Dupont, Marinette's own school.

"Why are we here?" Marinette asked cautiously. Chat Blanc began to walk circles around her. "I thought being here would put you more at ease…" he explained. Marinette could feel his eyes on her like he was closely examining her. She worried that he had some kind of trick up his sleeve.

"I'd feel a lot more at ease if you stop pacing around like that."

"Sorry, Princess. How rude of me."

"Now take me to Adrien. I know he isn't up here. What are you planning?"

"I'm offended that you think so low of me. I might be a bit intimidating, but I'd never go back on a promise."

"Then why don't you pay up?" Marinette huffed. Chat Blanc was truly frightening. He maintained a casual, joking attitude but Marinette knew that was a façade. He wouldn't hesitate to kill her. She believed that after seeing what he did to Mr. Agreste the night prior. Chat Blanc was smiling at her, but it was an empty smile. It had no soul.

"I will," Chat Blanc grinned. One of his fangs had something red on the tip. Marinette prayed that it wasn't blood. "You're so impatient."

"Show me Adrien," Marinette demanded. "If anything happened to him, I won't forgive you. Why did you hurt him? He doesn't deserve this! Give him back!"

In her head, Marinette was praying for Adrien's safety. "Please, please be okay," she begged. "I need to see him. I have to know he's alright." Marinette was trembling. There were tears in eyes. Her thoughts were consumed with Adrien.

"Oh, you're too kind," Chat Blanc bowed. "You have high praise. I didn't know you cared so much or is that just an act? No one seems to really care about me. At least you try and pretend. To my father, even that wasn't worth the effort."

"W-what are you talking about?"

There was a bright white swirl of light around Chat Blanc. Marinette covered her eyes afraid and was afraid to open them again. "Don't wuss out now," Chat Blanc hissed. He grabbed Marinette's hands and removed them from her face. She noticed that his hands were soft, but as cold as ice.

"Surprise, Princess!"

Marinette collapsed onto her knees. Her mouth was open, but no words came out. Time seemed to slow down. It couldn't be. It was impossible.

"A-Adrien…" Marinette managed to get out. Standing in front of her was a familiar figure. He was tall with perfect, blonde hair. His skin was lightly tanned and he had an angelic expression. It was Adrien.

But those eyes. They weren't his. They had cat-like slits and were a dark, ominous green. Those weren't Adrien's eyes.

"This is impossible," Marinette thought. "How didn't I notice? He was Chat Noir the entire time. It can't be. Impossible..."

But it was. All her memories of Adrien and Chat Noir rushed into her head. They always seemed to mysteriously leave class at the same time. When she talked about akumatized classmates, Chat Noir somehow always knew who she was talking about. She and Adrien both had the same lame excuses for disappearing which their friends accepted as the truth. Chat Noir moved with the kind of confidence and poise only an elite model could have. The dots began to connect.

Chat Noir really was Adrien.

"And I broke his heart and now he's become this… this monster." Marinette slowly stood up. "No… Adrien is no monster. Chat Noir isn't a monster either. He's a hero. This isn't him. He's being controlled by an akuma. I have to save him. I have to…"

Marinette examined Adrien's body for a possible akuma hiding spot and came up with the same results as before. Nothing. There was no place that stood out. Adrien had no significant object on him. There was nothing for her to break open and let the akuma out. Where could it be?

Then, Marinette realized that wasn't the only strange thing. It shouldn't have been possible for Chat Blanc to turn back into Adrien and still retain his miraculous powers. From his eyes, she could tell he still had them. He had only partially detransformed. Was that even possible? Was this what happened if you had two miraculouses?

She looked down at his familiar, black ring. That was the first miraculous. Her eyes traveled to the brooch on his neck. It was shaped like a butterfly with a pearl in the middle. That must be the second one, Hawk Moth's. Marinette understood that she wouldn't be able to purify the akuma yet. She would have to strike Chat Blanc down a notch before that could happen. Instead, she would have to go after his miraculouses. By decreasing his power, she would have a better shot at finding the akuma.

"Why so silent?" Adrien cocked his head in confusion. "I thought you'd react a lot differently. It's no fun if you're quiet."

"Why?" Marinette whispered softly. "Hmm?" Adrien said, cupping his ear and pretending to be unable to hear. "What was that, Princess?"

"Why?!" Marinette exclaimed. She stepped towards him and her presence was so fierce, he moved backwards. "Why did this happen to you? You're better than this! You're the kind-hearted hero who's saved Paris countless times! You're the ideal student that everyone wishes they could be! You're the nicest guy in Paris!"

Adrien scoffed. "You're like everyone else," he sneered. "You can only see what's on the outside. You see only what you want to. Sorry to disappoint, but this is the real me. Better get used to it."

"This isn't what you want."

"How would you know what I want? You don't know anything about me, do you?"

"I know this isn't what Paris wants. I know this isn't what your friends want. And I definitely know this isn't what Ladybug wants."

Adrien's body stiffened at the mention of her name. "Is that it?" Marinette pressed further. "Is she why you're like that? Is it because she said she loved somebody else?"

"Shut up!"

In the blink of an eye, Adrien had grabbed Marinette's arms and pinned them behind her back. "Say anything more and I'll kill you," he whispered into her ear. His breath was hot on her neck. Marinette was really crying now. There were red lines on her face from where the tears had traveled. Her lips had a salty taste and her eyes were puffy. She let out a sad sob, "Why?"

Adrien let Marinette go and she fell onto the ground. "Why?" he laughed. "Because I'm going to change this wretched place. I'm going to make it better. It'll be a place where I can be happy. After so long, I'll finally be happy."

"I didn't know…" Marinette said. "You were so sad and I didn't notice. Is it all because of Ladybug because if it is, I know how we can make things better. Please trust me. Believe in me!"

"If she was my only problem I wouldn't be standing here, now would I?" Adrien retorted. Marinette was silent. The problem was deeper than she imagined. "No, it's so much more than that," Adrien seethed. "After my fight with my father, I realized that I've only done things for others my entire life. I lived to please everyone but myself, how disgusting. I guess you could call this 'personal retribution'. I'm going to solve all my problems and you can't stop me."

"It doesn't have to be this way," Marinette cried. "You have friends that care about you and Ladybug who loves you more than you think. You don't have to face this alone. We can help you! We're here for you!"

"You can't do anything…" Adrien trailed off. His voice held a hint of sadness. "I have to do this on my own. The wounds are too deep." He put his hand over his heart, almost like he was protecting it. "These scars are too old to heal."

Another memory brushed through Adrien's head. It was a normal night, cloudy with a bit of rain. He sat with his stuffed bear in a giant, comfy chair in the living room. There was an old picture book on his lap. It was one of his favorites. Adrien couldn't read all the words quite yet, but he loved the pictures. He flipped through the pages eagerly. Each one was new and exciting even though he had read the book a thousand times. Once he was finished, he stood up on his chubby, toddler legs to get a new book. He lept out of the chair to go to his bedroom.

That was when the front door loudly slammed shut. "Daddy!" a young Adrien smiled eagerly. He hadn't seen his dad all day. The child ran down to greet his father. "Daddy! Daddy!" Adrien expected to be welcomed by his father's warm smile and strong arms, but instead he was met with a sad, expressionless face.

Adrien watched his father set his wet umbrella in the bin by the door. He was wet from the rain, but it didn't seem to bother him. Gabriel wasn't wearing his glasses like normal. Adrien could see them sticking out of his father's pocket. Adrien set down his teddy bear and grabbed onto his father's coat. "Daddy?"

"Adrien, you should get to bed," his father whispered. His voice was hoarse. Adrien tugged on his father's coat in frustration. "But I don't want to go to bed," he whined. "I want Mommy to read me a story. Please!"

"Adrien, go to your room!" The intensity of Gabriel's voice frightened Adrien. The young child quickly let go of his father and backed away. "I-I'm sorry," he cried, tears forming in his tiny, green eyes. "I didn't mean to make Daddy mad." He grabbed his teddy bear and ran up the stairs. He sat down on the staircase and hugged his teddy bear. He pretended that he went to his bedroom.

Adrien heard his father sink down against the door. Muffled sobs came from the front room. "Why?" Gabriel muttered, his head in his hands. "Why did you leave? Please… please come back. Without you, I…" The words turned into tears. It was the first and last time Adrien had ever heard his father cry. It was the first day Adrien lived without his mother. It was the first day he discovered what sadness truly was.

"Adrien?" Marinette said, snapping him back to reality. He needed to stop thinking about the past. It was over. All the mistakes had already been made. Now, he had the opportunity to fix them. Adrien took his hand away from his heart and clenched it into a tight fist.

Marinette noticed that even if for a brief moment, Adrien had returned to normal. Something inside him stirred. Something deep inside his heart made him forget his anger and hatred. Yet, his heart also fueled the fire. His feelings made him angry and dangerous. Adrien's hovered over his chest almost like it was protecting something.

"Could it be?" Marinette wondered. "Is the akuma inside his heart?" It seemed impossible, but Marinette didn't know the limitations of the butterfly miraculous. Maybe it did have that power and at this point, it was the only theory that seem plausible. "If it's inside his heart, how am I supposed to deevilize it?"

Adrien looked down at Marinette who was lying pathetically on the ground. "She looks worried," he noted. "Maybe she does care. But one person can't change anything. She'll have to get left behind. Sorry Marinette." There was another bright glow and Adrien turned back into Chat Blanc. A terrifying thought entered Chat Blanc's mind. "She's a hindrance. I have to get rid of her. She knows too much."

An internal battle began in Chat Blanc's head. "She's obviously worried about you. You can't kill her. She's done nothing wrong."

"But she holds you back. She makes you remember the past and question your actions. You can't hesitate anymore. There's no going back."

"Look how brave she is though. She came up here to face you because she cared about Adrien. She's your friend, your ally."

"Please don't go," Marinette said suddenly. She got up and crossed her legs shyly. "I know this might not mean much to you now, but I want you to know in case something… happens." She took a deep breath. This wasn't the moment she had always dreamed of, but she had to do it now.

"Adrien, I love you."

"Lier," Chat Blanc replied automatically. "You can't trick me."

"I'm not trying to. Adrien, I've loved you since the day we met. I love you so much that every time I get close to you my stomach turns to knots and I can barely breathe. I have your pictures all around my bedroom. I read every magazine article you're in. I have your schedule hanging from my ceiling for god's sake."

Chat Blanc was quiet. He couldn't tell if this was an attempt to make him weak or her true feelings. Once he saw the pink hue on Marinette's cheeks and heard the anxiety in her voice, his heartbeat began to quicken. Somehow, he knew her confession was real.

"Now you definitely can't kill her."

"Marinette, you have to leave now." Chat Blanc quickly grabbed her and jumped down to the ground. He set her on the cobblestone pavement and looked her in the eyes. "Get out of my business or you're going to get hurt," he warned. "I've trusted you with this information, but that doesn't mean we're friends. I don't have friends anymore. One false step and…" Chat Blanc held up his hand which began to emanate a black glow. Marinette knew exactly what that meant.

Chat Blanc ran away into the night. Marinette moaned and leaned against a nearby building. "This can't be happening…" she groaned. Tikki poked her head out of the purse. "Marinette, this is getting really bad," she frowned. "We can't wait any longer. You have to stop him."

"You're right," Marinette agreed. "But I'm exhausted. As soon as I wake up tomorrow, I'm going after him. This all ends tomorrow. I want my Adrien and Chat Noir back."

As Chat Noir ran away, he tried to shake Marinette from his thoughts. Her cute pigtails and sweet face had imprinted themselves in his mind. There was something about her that was oddly familiar and alluring. She was a distraction, but he couldn't stop thinking about her.

"Damn it," Chat Blanc cursed. "Stop thinking about her and start focusing on your next goal. Ladybug."

Chat Blanc had already dealt with his father and now there was one thing left on his list. He needed his queen at his side. He allowed her to run around for long enough. Actually, he was surprised she hadn't chased after him since the incident at the Eiffel Tower. He expected her to fall right into his trap, but she hadn't.

Chat Blanc chuckled to himself. "Of course she didn't. You know she's smarter than that. That's one of the reasons you fell in love with her in the first place." Chat Blanc had a dreamy expression. The akuma hadn't changed the way he felt. He loved Ladybug with all his heart and soul, but if she tried to stop him, which he knew she would, he wasn't afraid to counterattack. With all his new power, he would overcome her.

Chat Blanc looked out at Paris which had already settled for the night. "It's too quiet," Chat Blanc mused. "How about I call Ladybug out of hiding?" He called forth his cataclysm and set his paw on the roof of the building he stood on. He jumped into the air and onto a nearby building as he watched the old one begin to crumble. People ran out, screaming and flailing their arms. In mere minutes, the building was nothing but rubble.

"Excellent. I doubt Ladybug will be able to ignore this. She'll definitely come out to play tomorrow."


	7. An Unfortunate Exchange

Marinette walked downstairs to the bakery with a nonchalant smile. "Good morning, Mama. Good morning, Papa," she said as she picked up a lemon tart that was sitting behind the counter. She took a bite and gave her parents a thumbs up. "It's really good," Marinette said, crumbs all over the corner of her mouth. "I think I'm going to take the rest of it for the road." Marinette quickly moved towards the door when she was stopped by her father.

He crossed his arms and shook his head. "Didn't you hear?" he said. He took Marinette's hand and led her back into the bakery. "School was cancelled due to that attack yesterday. And your mother and I don't want you getting into any trouble. It's dangerous out there. We want you stay home for today."

"But Papa..." Marinette whined. She had to go look for Chat Noir. She couldn't stayed cooped up at home. Her father sternly frowned. "No 'buts'," he said. "All your friends will be at home too, so there is no reason for you to go out. Just stay inside and work on your homework."

Marinette look over to her mother for support. Sabine sighed and walked over besides her husband. "I agree with your father, Marinette," she said. "It's too dangerous. Please trust us. We're just worried about you."

"I know..." Marinette sighed. Her parents were worried about her safety, but she was worried about the safety of Paris. One held a bit more weight than the other. Still, Marinette would have to play along and pretend to obey. Otherwise, her parents would keep a close eye on her all day and she would never be able to sneak out.

"It's fine," Marinette smiled. "I had a new design I wanted to work on anyways." She turned around and headed back upstairs. Sabine and Tom smiled as they watched their daughter walk away. They felt blessed to have such an understanding and caring daughter. They heard stories from other parents about teenagers that snuck out of the house at night or did things behind their parents' backs. Marienette wasn't like that and it put her parents' minds at ease. They could trust her with anything.

Or so they thought. Marinette went back into her bedroom and shut the trapdoor. She attached a sticky note to the bottom that said, "I'm working. Please don't bother me." It was normal for her to leave notes for her parents when she was working on an important project. They didn't want to interrupt her and respected her need for privacy. That note would keep them out of her bedroom and stop them from checking on her. Marinette didn't know how long she was going to be gone. This would buy her some extra time.

Marinette let Tikki out of her purse and the little creature quickly flew out. "Are you ready?" she said. Marinette nodded. "I don't have a choice, do I?" the young girl laughed. "Someone has to save Chat Noir. He's always getting himself into trouble." Tikki smiled at Marinette's light-hearted attitude. It would do neither of them any good to be depressed.

"Tikki, spots on!" Tikki was sucked into Marinette's earrings which turned a brilliant red. She was Ladybug now and it was time to go save her precious, little kitten!

Ladybug swung out the window and onto her roof. As she prepared to begin her race to find Chat Blanc, she gasped at the carnage. Buildings were destroyed left and right. People were in the streets, crying and helping loved ones. No one seemed to be hurt, but the damage was widespread. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason behind it either. Random houses were sitting in piles of dust while some were perfectly fine. No wonder Marinette's parents wanted to keep her inside. The outside was a disaster. How much had she missed while she slept?

The landscape was ominous against the backdrop of the sky. Dark clouds had formed and the air was thick. The sky was a faded gray. The scene was foreboding. It sent a shiver up Ladybug's spine. It was as if nature was giving her a sign of what was to come.

"He's throwing a tantrum," Ladybug sighed as she looked back on the destruction. Chat Noir could never do things halfway. "I bet he's just looking for attention. Well, now he's got it. Only thing left is to find where he is."

There was a loud rumbling sound. It sounded like a building crashing to the ground. "Chat Noir..." Ladybug whispered under his breath. He could be the only one behind it.

Ladybug took off in the direction of the sound. It was difficult to maneuver since so many buildings were destroyed. There was little for her yo-yo to latch onto. She was moving at a significantly slower pace than usual and prayed that Chat Blanc wouldn't escape before she got there.

A cloud of dust appeared within Ladybug's view. "There!" she thought as she zoomed over.

The site of the destruction was the Hotel de Ville which was home to Paris's local administration and Mayor Bourgeois's office. Or at least it did.

There was nothing there anymore. Just stray piles of stone and brick. There was no one standing nearby. They all must of have fled or not even dared to come to work. Ladybug looked at the rubble in awe. That building was a historic monument, a symbol of Parisian pride, and now it was nothing but dust.

Amongst the debris, there was a single figure, rummaging around. He stood out in his bright, white suit which somehow remained clean despite the mess surrounding it. It was Chat Blanc. He seemed to be relishing in his own self-created destruction. He took a deep breath and smiled. This was all him and he was very proud of his work.

"Chat Blanc," Ladybug called. Her tone was firm and demanding. Chat Blanc turned his head slowly and grinned when he saw her. He stepped out from the wreckage and dusted himself off. He gave her a gentlemanly bow and said, "My lady. How kind of you to drop by. I was feline very lonely without you."

"I don't want to fight you, Chat."

"But you don't have to. I know I scared you at the Eiffel Tower, but I don't really want you dead. I love you, Ladybug. Won't you join me on my quest for happiness? I'll ask again. Won't you be my queen?"

There was a strange sincerity in his voice that caught Ladybug off guard. Those words didn't belong to Chat Blanc. They were Chat Noir's. Adrien's. That confession of love that she dreaded had arrived.

She dreamed of this moment as Marinette. That one day Adrien would take her by the hand and whisper a gentle "I love you" in her ear. She would blush causing him to smile. From behind his back, he would reveal a single, red rose and offer it to her. He would be down on one knee like a man proposing to his future bride. Tears would form in her eyes as Adrien would ask the simply question. "Will you go out with me?"

There was no hesitation. Marinette would take the rose eagerly and hug Adrien with all her strength. "Of course," she said. Her words couldn't represent the joy in her heart. Adrien would pick her up and swing her around, just as excited. They both would break into a fit of laughs and their eyes would meet.

Both of them would become silent and slowly lean in close. They would be hesitant, but their nerves couldn't hold them back. They would move closer and closer until their lips were locked in an embrace. It would be the sweetest kiss. Simple, but sweet. It would be awkward since neither of them had ever kissed anyone before, but it was still wonderful.

They would break apart, both red as tomatoes. They would mumble words under their breath, unsure of what to do or say now. Marinette would look up at Adrien with a bright smile. Her dreams had come true. She would lean in close to him and set her head on his shoulder. He would take her hand and squeeze it. She would return the favor. They would sit in silence for a moment before she would say, "I really love you too."

That was her dream.

"Now isn't the time for daydreaming," Ladybug cursed herself. "Don't get sucked into his words. This isn't the real Adrien. This isn't the real Chat Noir. Save the confessions for later. You have work to do!"

Ladybug shook her head, causing Chat Blanc to frown. "I'm sorry," she said. "But I can't accept you. Not like this. Look at all the destruction you've caused. This is your home and you've shred it to pieces. You tried to kill your father. You attacked your school and your classmates. This isn't you! Why can't you snap out of it!"

Chat Blanc snarled and turned his back to her. "That's all meaningless to me!" he shouted, his fists clenched. He slowly reached for his baton. Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo in preparation. "I don't want to fight you!" he continued. He was becoming emotional. Ladybug wondered if he was shielding his face to hide possible tears. Chat Blanc's grip on his baton tightened and he turned back around.

"I don't want to fight you, but if you're going to stop me, then I have no choice. Good-bye, m'lady. We've had a nice run. I'll remember you fondly."

With frightening speed, Chat Blanc came in for an attack. Ladybug dodged to the side, nearly tripping over own feet. Luckily, she had been prepared, but Chat Blanc was fighting with an intensity she had never seen before. Even at the Eiffel Tower, he hadn't been this fierce.

Chat Blanc attempted to slam his baton at Ladybug's face, but she twisted her yo-yo around it and yanked it away. "Don't underestimate me," she teased. "It looks like bugs are a lot smarter than cats."

Chat Blanc bared his claws and began to slash at Ladybug. She dodged each attack and she tried to figure out what to do. "I need to purify that akuma," she thought. "I have only one shot at this. If I get too close, he won't hesitate to kill me. I think I know where it is, but I have to be right. Luck better be on my side today."

The fight continued. Chat Blanc wouldn't give up. Though he kept missing, he had plenty more where that came from. He wondered why Ladybug had changed her attack yet. It was like she was stalling for time. He smiled as he realized what she was doing. She always made up plans on the fly. He spent so much time with her that he had her figured out like clockwork. He would have to eliminate her before she could make a move.

There was a loud rumble from the sky and big, thick drops of rain began to fall. The rain felt good against Chat Blanc's skin. It was cool and refreshing. The storm created the perfect atmosphere for Ladybug's demise. When he remembered her death, it would be a worthy memory.

"Cataclysm!" Chat Blanc shouted. Ladybug watched a black glow flood from his fingertips. She knew the power of the ancient destruction, but she didn't want to get to know it up close and personal. Things were serious now. If he touched her, it was all over.

"Put away your pride, Marinette. Besides, you've already done this once. It's no big deal to tell him again," Ladybug chanted to herself. "This is the only chance you've got. Don't be your usual self and mess it up. You can do this!"

"Look, it's Ladybug!"

"She's come to save us!"

"You can do it! We believe in you!"

Chat Blanc and Ladybug looked up from their fight. A crowd had begun to form around them. People were chanting her name and saying their praises. Paris had come out to support her. They wanted her to win. They had faith in her. These people were strangers, yet they had come out in the rain and, in spite of all the danger, came to see her succeed. And she wouldn't let them down.

A new energy flowed through Ladybug. Her heartbeat quickened and she gave Chat Blanc a sly smile. Normally when Alya supported her this way, she gained a small mental boost, but the efforts of all of Paris had a greater effect. She felt ready to take on the world. She would defeat Chat Blanc, not only for his sake, but for the sake of her home and its people.

"What's with the cheeky grin?" Chat Blanc asked. "Are you happy to see these worthless people cheering for you? What are they going to do? They can't help you fight. Face it. You're going to lose. Are you a-fur-aid yet?"

"I could never be afraid of you," Ladybug smiled, hooking her yo-yo on her belt. She was standing down much to Chat Blanc's amazement. Was she crazy? Was she so willing to accept death? "She figured out what's good for her," Chat Blanc thought. "I'll make this quick. I wouldn't want her to suffer in her final moments. This cat still has some soul."

Chat Blanc prepared for his finishing strike, but Ladybug continued to speak. "You're my prince," she said softly, a tint of pink on her face. "I never noticed you this whole time. You were my prince in disguise."

"Prince?" Chat Blanc scrunched his nose, revolted. "Your lies won't trick me. I'm fed up with lies! I'm fed up with people who pretend to like me and those who think they can control me! I won't listen to you!"

"From the moment I laid eyes on you, I fell in love. That perfect blonde hair and those radiant green eyes. I still remember that day, but I only saw you as a person on a pedestal, unreachable. I thought you were perfect. You were smart, handsome, and had so many friends, but then I realized... you were lonely and sad."

"Be quiet..."

"I didn't know what to do. I wanted to help, but I was so concerned with my own love, that I didn't try to help you. I didn't try to help you through your pain. As a friend, I failed you. I let you down. I was selfish."

Words poured out of Marinette's heart. They were thoughts she didn't know she even had. She hadn't realized how poor a friend she had been to Adrien. She complimented him and made him presents, but that wasn't what he needed. He needed someone to look past his facade and see the real him and she hadn't. At least as Marinette she hadn't.

"But then I met you in a new light. I saw the silly, flirty guy that lived inside. The other side ofl you. You had terrible cat puns and the lamest pick-up lines, but you were special. You held a place in my heart that no one could replace. We laughed and fought together. We were a team. You were my partner and I was an idiot not to recognize that you could be both my prince and partner. If I hadn't been so blind, I might have been able to help you."

"I-I'll kill you this time," Chat Blanc growled. "I really will. I won't let you trick me. I won't let my heart get broken again. I'm different now. I'm not the fool I was."

He was clearly hesitating now. When Ladybug first encountered him at the Eiffel Tower, he had been vicious. He choked her and wasn't afraid to beat her up. His mindset was the same as then, but something about him had changed. Her words were beginning to crack his heart. Not only her words as Ladybug, but as Marinette. They were beginning to meld together in Chat Blanc's mind.

"I want to make you happy, Chat Noir."

"Leave me alone. You don't know anything about my happiness, you self-centered bug! Do you think that you alone could change my entire world? You can't. There's more than you. There's a lot you can't go back and fix."

"Then let me help you. If I can only make you a little bit happier, that's enough for me. I just want to see you smile again. I want to see kind smile I fell in love with.."

Chat Blanc strided towards Ladybug, furious. She couldn't be allowed to speak anymore. Her words gnawed at his soul, eating him alive. He extended his hand and rolled his eyes. "Time to get off that pedestal," Chat Blanc shouted. "This is where it ends!"

Chat Blanc had his feet planted in attack position. His body was open wide, ready to place his claws upon Ladybug. What she did next took him by surprise.

She rushed up to him and whispered softly in his ear, "I love you, Adrien."

Ladybug shoved her lips against his and grabbed onto his waist. She leaned against his chest and she maintained the kiss. With it, she let out all her passion and love. She could feel Chat Blanc's heart beat in unison with hers. Her hand traveled up his back and onto his neck. His skin was soft and it felt like she was touching Adrien, not Chat Blanc.

His lips were rough and chapped from spending all night outside. His hair was dirty and lost a bit of its signature shine. None of that mattered though. She was kissing him. She was kissing the boy of her dreams. Would a kiss break open that chilled heart and release the evil inside?

Chat Blanc felt something press against his lips. Before he could react, Ladybug was hugging him and kissing him. Her grip was tight. She refused to let go. At first, his mind told him to reject her and push her away. That was Chat Blanc speaking.

But as the kiss went on, a new voice emerged in his head and it was telling him to kiss back. He admired her silky hair and thin body. He loved the way she was a few inches shorter than him and he could see just over her head. The touch of her sweet lips sent tingling sensations throughout his body. His heart began to thump wildly as if it had broken free of its cage. A purple butterfly forced its way out of his chest and turned a bright white hue.

"I'm back."

Chat Blanc closed his eyes with a smile. A purple mist appeared over him and his white suit began to darken to its familiar black. A flood of emotion entered his mind. He felt lighter than air. For the first time, he began to understand.

He was happy.

He always had been.

He was surrounded by friends who cared about him. Nino was always there by his side even if it meant defying his father. Chloe could be annoying and bratty, but she believed in him and loved him unconditionally. Alya was never afraid to talk to him about Ladybug or make silly jokes. And then there was Marinette, the wonderful classmate who protected her friends and tried to save him in his darkest moments.

He had a job that he could enjoy. He could see his face on the streets of Paris and look proudly upon his work. People like the Gorilla and Nathalie worked hard to make sure things went well for him. They worked hard behind the scenes so his life would be easy.

There was his father. The man that had grown so distant from his son that he could hardly be called a father. Except he was. All Gabriel cared about was protecting him son from the world. He wanted his son to have the perfect life and a good future. He had been willing to become the villain if it meant his son could be happy again.

Then there was the most important piece of it all. His lovely Ladybug.

She was his partner and never hesitated to emphasize that they were a team. She put up with his flirty remarks and cat puns. When he was in danger, she came to the rescue. When she was in trouble, he was by her side. They shared countless precious moments that he could never forget. She was the woman he fell in love with. Not because she was beautiful, brave, or all around perfect, but because she was the first person he ever opened up to. She was the first person who ever knew the real him. And she loved it.

Chat Noir wrapped his arms around Ladybug, his hands on her hips. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her. He wanted to tell her how thankful he was to hear the words "I love you" come from her mouth. He wanted to let her know that she was his entire world, his everything.

But instead, Ladybug let out a deafening scream. She broke away from the kiss and cried out in pain. Her entire body felt like it was dissolving from the inside out. The pain was indescribable like everything was melting. She fell onto the ground, almost limp. The rain pooled in puddles around her.

Chat Noir let out a cry and grabbed her. He propped up her head on his lap. He could see the crowd out of the corner of his eye. They were shouting, extremely worried. Rain drops fell on Ladybug's face. The pain was making her go unconscious, but her insides were still burning. Her face was beginning to go white and her eyes were fluttering shut.

"M-my lady," Chat Noir stammered. Her skin was becoming cold like ice. "What do I do?" he thought worried. "What happened? Why is she hurting like this?"

His eyes traveled down to his gloved hands that were gripping her body. When he had been Chat Blanc, they were fighting. He wanted to end it all, so he had used...

His cataclysm.

"No!" he shouted internally. "I didn't... I couldn't have..."

But he did. He had placed his hands unknowingly on her, releasing his ancient spell of destruction. He intended to embrace her and show his love. Instead, he had sent her to her doom.

Tears spilled out of his eyes. They landed on Ladybug's delicate skin, mixing in with the rain. She didn't seem to notice their presence. She didn't move. Her chest was still, showing no sign of life.

"I'm sorry!" Chat Noir sobbed as he pulled Ladybug close to him. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

His chest was heaving as he tried to breath between the tears. His eyes had become red and swollen. His throat became raw as he screamed. "Please answer me," he begged. "You can't leave me like this. Wake up! Please!" Chat Noir grabbed his lady's hand and it was cold. He felt no pulse.

It was all his fault.

For the first time, he had felt happy and he took it away from himself. Damn his bad luck.

"Damn it!" Chat Noir sobbed. People were beginning to crowd in close to see what had happened. Their stares were penetrating Chat Noir's soul, making him feel even guiltier. He didn't want to share his lady with these strangers. They didn't know her the way he did. Her existence didn't hold as much meaning to them. She was only a superhero in their eyes. To him, she was so much more.

A beep came from the ring on Chat Noir's finger. A tiny piece of the paw print disappeared. "My miraculous?" Chat Noir thought. "It's working like normal again. I'm going to detransform. I have to get out of here!"

He looked down at Ladybug's cold body and made a quick decision. He grabbed her in his arms and jumped away, leaving a shocked crowd. He ran onto a nearby roof and across the top of Paris. He needed a place to spend his final moments with her. He needed a little more time.

The Notre Dame came into view. He raced towards it, holding his lady close. There was another beep from his ring.

He entered the top of the cathedral, just beneath its golden bell. Gently, he set Ladybug on the stone and rested her arms on her stomach. Using his fingers, he wiped the rain off her face. She looked like an old doll that had been untouched. Her skin was like porcelain that threatened to crack if anyone touched it.

From above, Chat Noir spotted a white flower growing from the garden beneath the church. He swooped down and plucked it from the ground. If he remembered correctly, it was called Angelica, a favorite flower of ladybugs' and one fitting of his lady.

He climbed back up the cathedral walls to his precious girl. She hadn't moved since he left as expected. Carefully, he slid the flower into her hands. It mimicked something he had seen at a funeral. Now everything was perfect.

He ran his hand through her hair, recalling that only minutes before, she had been alive. She had been fighting him, trying to protect him. She knew it would be dangerous. She knew it could cost her her life. But she didn't care because she loved him. She said it herself. Those sweet words...

Chat Noir tried to put on a smile. He knew Ladybug would be upset if she knew he was crying for her. She wanted him to be happy, so he would try his best.

Chat Noir smiled as tears ran down his face. He put his hand over his heart and the other on the hands of his lady. The aroma of the flowers hung in the air. In a soft whisper, he said...

"Good-bye, my lady."


	8. Revival

Chat Noir sat by Ladybug's body when his ring let out a final beep. There was a green glow and he returned to being Adrien. Plagg came tumbling out of the ring along with another tiny creature that appeared from the butterfly brooch.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Plagg shouted as he crossed his arms. "Are you an idiot?" He was clearly upset that Adrien had succumbed to the temptation of Hawk Moth. It was almost disgraceful, not to mention extremely dangerous. With that much power, it wouldn't have been out of the question to accidentally hurt himself or somebody else. Not to mention that the entire time Plagg was trapped in the ring, he couldn't eat any cheese!

Plagg's eyes traveled down towards Ladybug's body. He watched her lay motionless like a doll. The tiny creature's gaze shifted back up to Adrien whose face was red and tear stained. Though Plagg had been trapped in the miraculous, he saw what happened, but was powerless to stop it. Somehow, he knew that Ladybug would come to save Chat Noir. She always did, but he didn't know she would be willing to sacrifice herself for him.

"Adrien..." Plagg sighed. He flew into Adrien's lap and cuddled against his clothes, searching for warmth. The air was cold and wet. Adrien ran his finger against the kwami's soft fur. It felt good to be surrounded by his friend again. Plagg was the only one who could offer any comfort right now.

There was whimper from the corner of the tower. Adrien and Plagg turned and saw the shivering pink kwami that belonged to Hawk Moth. He looked scared and out of place. It was clear that the entire ordeal scared him. It must have been terrifying to be taken away from his home and help captive by nothing less than a monster.

"It's okay," Adrien whispered with compassionate eyes. He took off the brooch and set it in front of him. "I don't need this anymore," he explained. "Take this back to your master. And tell him... tell him I'm sorry." The kwami nodded and picked up the brooch. It flew out of the cathedral without a single word.

Adrien and Plagg didn't ask any questions. They didn't ask his name or his purpose. They didn't want to know what Hawk Moth had been after this entire time. Adrien didn't want to know why his father had been chosen to hold a miraculous. It didn't matter anymore. Everything was meaningless now.

The atmosphere was silent. Only the pitter patter of the rain hitting the tower could be heard. It was extremely late now and Plagg was exhausted. He was hungry and wanted some cheese. He hadn't eaten in over a day. His stomach let out a loud rumble.

"Adrien, can we go home?" Plagg whined as he threw his paws up in frustration. Adrien shook his head. "You can, but I'm staying here. I won't leave her side."

His clothes were soaked through completely. They stuck to his skin, causing goosebumps. The dirt on his body felt grimy and gross. His hair was sopping wet and clung to his face. It was uncomfortable, but Adrien ignored it. He was still too focused on Ladybug.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. Plagg looked up when Adrien started to speak. "Adrien?" Plagg said. He sounded concerned, a rare emotion from him.

"You really need to go home. You're cold and wet. You'll get sick."

"I don't care!" Adrien slammed his fists against the ground, startling Plagg. "Don't you understand? She's dead, Plagg. She's dead! And I'm the one that killed her. I killed her!"

"Dead?" Plagg said. "Adrien, I don't think she's..."

"Please stop," Adrien commanded. "S-stop talking."

Plagg instantly closed his mouth. He had never seen Adrien so serious. Adrien buried his head in his hands and muttered, "Just leave. You can go get your cheese or whatever, but I don't care. I just want to be alone." Plagg could hear Adrien's muffled sobs.

The black cat shrunk back from his master. He wanted to give Adrien some space though he didn't understand why Adrien was so upset. Plagg flew behind the pillar of the tower and sat down. He wouldn't bother Adrien until the boy had calmed down. Adrien wouldn't understand logic and reason if Plagg tried to talk now.

The long night dragged on. Plagg fell asleep almost immediately despite laying on the cold stone, but Adrien tried to stay awake. He was afraid that if he fell asleep, he would be plagued with nightmares. Unfortunately, those nightmares were reality and he could do nothing to escape them. Adrien's eyelids slowly closed as he laid down beside Ladybug's body. He nuzzled close to her and looked up out at the sky.

The clouds had faded and the rain stopped. In that moment, he decided he would have to move on in the morning. He couldn't sit beside her forever. She was gone, but he would have to keep living his life. She would want him to be happy and not stay stuck in the past. She would be sad if she discovered he spent this long with her body. That was the kind of girl she was. An incredible, amazing, miraculous girl.

Adrien wondered what he would do from now on. He didn't know if he could go home. How could he face his father after almost killing him? How could he face his father after he had been turned into a monster? The idea of stepping foot into the mansion caused a feeling of guilt to settle in his stomach. Home hardly seemed like an option.

And being Chat Noir? There would be no more of that. If there was no Ladybug to purify the akuma and be by his side, what was the point? It would only stir up bad memories. Plagg would have to find someone else to be the new Chat Noir. Adrien couldn't handle it anymore. He had enough of these superpowers. He would easily relinquish them to someone more worthy. He failed his duties completely.

He couldn't stand the idea of working with a new Ladybug either. The cycle of Ladybug and Chat Noir had continued for all of time. Eventually, they all died at some point. She would be replaced, but not in his heart. No one could take her place. In his mind, she would be the one and only Ladybug.

Adrien looked up and saw the stars covering the sky. He sighed and said, "Aren't the stars beautiful tonight, my lady?" Then he fell asleep at her side.

"Ugh..." A small groan emerged from Ladybug's lips. "My entire body hurts," she thought. "I think I might be sick. I don't know if I could even sit up."

She slowly opened her eyes and observed her environment. It was damp. Her suit was soaked. Clearly, it wasn't waterproof. The ground was cold and uncomfortable, but something smelled good. She looked at her hands and saw she was holding beautiful white flowers.

"Flowers?" she wondered. "Why am I holding flowers? I mean, they're nice and all, but they aren't exactly my style."

Ladybug set the flowers at her side and tried to prop herself up. Every time she moved her muscles screamed a little. Everything was tense and tight. It felt like she had run a thousand miles. Once she finally sat up, Ladybug looked to her side and was surprised to see Adrien sleeping beside her.

"Adrien?" she gasped. What was he doing here? It was obvious that it was late and it had been raining. His entire body was soaked. He would get sick laying out here like this. And why was he next to her? What happened?

A blush appeared on Ladybug's cheeks. "I was sleeping next to Adrien!" she thought, excited. "I'm not going to complain, but what's going on? The last thing I remember was passing out after Chat Noir hugged me." She looked back at Adrien. "I should probably wake him up. He needs to go home and sleep in a real bed. If he catches a cold, I'll blame myself."

"Hey," Ladybug said. She poked Adrien's cheek. He let out an accidental, but adorable grunt. Ladybug giggled. Even when sleeping, he was cute.

"Adrien, wake up," she repeated. This time, she rocked his body back and forth. The sudden noise woke Plagg up. He peaked from behind the pillar and saw Ladybug trying to wake Adrien up. "About time," he thought. "I want to go home, but Adrien won't let me. Maybe now we can go get some cheese! I'm so hungry!"

Adrien groaned as he opened his eyes. Who had woken him up? If it was Plagg, that kwami was going to get an earful. Adrien's vision was blurry at first. He could only make out a red mass hovering in front of him. A feeble moan came from his mouth as he murmured, "Plagg?"

"Plagg?" Ladybug replied, a bit offended. "I know it's late and you're tired, but I'm at least a little cuter than that thing, right?" She pointed over at Plagg whose head was sticking out from behind the pillar. Somehow, she knew who Adrien was mumbling about. The kwami frowned and flew over beside Ladybug.

"What are you talking about?" Plagg sneered. "I'm the cutest cat in existence." He flicked his tail to prove his point.

Adrien sat up with a jolt. "Ladybug!" he exclaimed. "Y-you're alive, but how? I thought you died."

"Died?" Ladybug thought. "He thought I was dead? I hurt like hell, but I'm still alive and kicking."

"It takes more than that to squash a bug like me," she smiled. She gave Adrien a hug and said, "I'm glad you're okay. I was so worried."

Her body was warm despite being wet. Adrien was in shock as he hugged her back. "She's alive!" he thought. "She's really alive!" A steady trail of tears flooded from his eyes.

"Could you two quit it?" Plagg asked, making a pretend gagging sound. "You're so mushy. I don't understand why you were so emotional. I was trying to tell you that she was okay, but you wouldn't listen." Plagg huffed and turned away.

"What do you mean?" Adrien asked, trying to wipe away his embarrassing tears with his wet shirt.

"Your cataclysm can't kill anyone. Chat Noir is supposed to protect people, not hurt them. You can cause a lot of pain with it, but you can't kill anyone. That would go against literally everything Chat Noir stands for. I thought that would be obvious, duh!" Plagg spoke as if this was clearest thing in the world.

"Plagg!" Adrien crossed his arms. He gave the cat an angry frown. If Plagg had know Ladybug was alive, he should had tried harder to let Adrien know or did he find some sick enjoyment in seeing Adrien cry. Honestly, Adrien wouldn't put it past him. Plagg loved to tease Adrien.

Adrien looked down at himself with a thick gasp and remembered that he was no longer Chat Noir. Ladybug saw him and Plagg, but it didn't seem to phase her. It was like she knew he was Adrien. Had she figured him out a long time ago? When had his secret been revealed?

"Is something wrong?" Ladybug asked, tilting her head in confusion. "You're making a weird face right now." She mimicked his face which sent her into a fit of giggles. Adrien smiled, happy to see his lady so alive. He thought she was gone, but here she was, laughing in front of him. Her laughs echoed throughout the tower, raising Adrien's spirits.

"You don't seem surprised," Adrien said. "I'm not Chat Noir right now, but you knew it was me. How?"

Ladybug pursed her lips and sheepishly smiled. "T-that's a funny story," she stammered. "I'll tell you in a sec, but I have some quick cleanup to do first."

Adrien watched her stand up and walk over to the edge of the tower. She unhooked her yo-yo and tossed it into the air, yelling, "Lucky Charm!" A plastic, red and black heart fell into her hands. Ladybug looked at it with unamused eyes.

"Ha ha, very funny," she mumbled to herself. Her own superpowers were mocking her. She held the heart in her hand and gave it a kiss. "Maybe this is a sign of good things to come?" she thought hopefully. "I hope I'm not going to be the one getting rejected soon!"

She threw the heart up into the air and shouted, "Miraculous Ladybug!" The heart dissolved into red light that swirled around all of Paris. Ladybug watched with a smile as buildings rebuilt themselves and the remaining pain her body subsided. Her miraculous cure was really the best superpower in existence.

"That looks much better," Ladybug said, admiring her handiwork. Adrien stood up and walked beside her. He looked out on the Paris he had destroyed, but it appeared brand new. He felt extremely grateful, but guilty that Ladybug was the one to clean up his mess. She had been seriously hurt because of it too.

Ladybug turned to see Adrien's sad expression and she flicked him on the forehead. "If you make that face again, you're gonna be in for it," she scolded him. "Everything is okay now, see? There's no need to be upset. Don't feel guilty, it wasn't your fault. You were being controlled by the akuma."

"..."

Adrien didn't know what to say. Why was his lady so kind? He clearly made a mistake, but she wouldn't let him beat himself up about it. She wanted him to move on, just like she had already. Adrien bit his lip and turned away from her. He was too ashamed to look her in the eye.

Adrien felt warm arms reach around him. Ladybug was hugging him. He could feel her body against his back and her breath against his neck. "Adrien," she whispered. "Please don't be sad. I'm here for you. And about before... I wasn't lying. I really do..."

Ladybug took in a deep breath and smiled. "I really do love you."

Her face turned beet red. Even though this was technically the third time she confessed, it didn't get any easier. It was still embarrassing. All her feelings were being put out in the open. She heard Adrien hold his breath as his body tightened. He placed his hands on her arms that were wrapped tightly around his waist. Those were the words he always dreamed of hearing, but could he believe in them?

"How could you?" he sighed. "You never showed any interest in Chat Noir and he's way more exciting than Adrien Agreste. You don't have to lie to me. I know you lied earlier just to release the akuma. There's no reason to continue this joke."

Ladybug squeezed tighter. "It wasn't a joke!" she protested. "I love you. I love Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste. I have for a long time. I just didn't know... I just didn't know you two were one in the same."

Her earrings began to beep. She let go of Adrien and shyly put her hands behind her her back. Adrien turned to face her. He could tell she was embarrassed. Her face was almost the same shade as her suit. "Could this be real?" Adrien thought. "Does she really love me?"

"The reason I rejected you as Chat Noir was because I was in love with Adrien Agreste, the sweet guy who sat in front of me in class. When I first saw the way you smiled, I fell for you... hard. And then I met Chat Noir, the punny, over the top cat who couldn't stop flirting if his life depended on it. He became my best friend, but he was my prince too. I was such an idiot not to realize it sooner. You both were the same wonderful person."

Adrien listened to her words in shock. "She was in love with Adrien?" His eyes widened as she continued to speak. "How is this possible? She said she sat behind me in class. She goes to my school! But who...? Who sits behind me?"

A quiet beep came from Ladybug's earrings. She smiled and said, "I hope you're okay with plain, boring me." A red glow spiraled around her and the ladybug disguise vanished, leaving behind a blushing, nervous Marinette. She crossed her legs and gave Adrien a hesitant smile. "It's just me," she said.

"M-Marinette..." Adrien stammered. Plagg watched as Marinette revealed herself. He was trying to restrain his laughter. How stupid could these kids be? Weren't their true identities crystal clear from the start? Perhaps that was a symptom of being in love. It made you blind to the obvious. The extremely obvious.

Plagg felt a warm body lean up beside him. To his surprise, it was Tikki who had been released from her miraculous. She had a soft smile as she gazed lovingly at the two teens. Plagg rolled his eyes. Tikki had always been the hopeless romantic. Still, he was happy to see her again. They hadn't been side by side like this for decades.

"You're disappointed, aren't you"? Marinette sighed as she saw Adrien's expression. "I know I'm not as spectacular as Ladybug. I'm awkward and clumsy, not to mention a bit of a stalker. So it's okay if you don't like me too. I understand..."

"It was her the whole time," Adrien thought, so absorbed in his own thoughts that he almost couldn't hear Marinette. "Ha, of course it was her. Who else could be Paris's kind-hearted hero than the even more kind-hearted Marinette? It makes so much sense now and this entire time she had been trying to save me as both Marinette and Ladybug. I wanted to know her true identity so badly and now that I know, I..."

"This is embarrassing," Marinette said with a disappointed sigh. "Tikki, we should go. I'm sorry for burdening you with this, Adrien. I understand if you don't want to be partners anymore." There were small tears in the corner of her eyes.

"What?" Adrien exclaimed. He grabbed her wrist. He didn't want her to run away. "Please don't go," he smiled. "We're still partners. We always will be. Just because you're Marinette now doesn't mean that you aren't also Ladybug. You're both of them and I'm in love with all of you."

In Adrien's mind, everything made sense. All the qualities he loved about Ladybug, Marinette exhibited on a daily basis though not always in front of him. She was his lady through and through. She was also his princess. She was his dream girl, his perfect match. He couldn't dream of not having her by his side.

"You still love me?" Marinette said in a hushed tone. She could hardly believe her ears. Adrien said she loved her in return. Adrien nodded his head and opened his arms, ready for an embrace. Marinette ran into his arms and began to cry tears of joy. She was so incredibly happy.

Adrien listened to her tears and almost cried some of his own. He too was happy to be holding the girl he loved most in his arms. Finally, they had joined together as one, their strange love square finally realized.

Tikki and Plagg laughed to themselves as they watched the young lovers hug. It was one of the perks of their job to be able to see such pure, innocent love blossom. That was more Tikki's thing, but even Plagg had to admit it was nice once in awhile.

Marinette and Adrien looked out from the tower to see the rising sun. Orange and pink hues painted the sky. It was a new start for Paris. It was a new step in their lives. They would be moving forward together now as Adrien and Marinette and Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"Marinette?" Adrien asked as he stared at the sun. She looked up from his chest and smiled. "Yes?"

"Do you think Paris will let me become its hero again? I destroyed it and hurt so many people. You could carry on all by yourself. You don't need me."

"That's not true," Marinette frowned. "We're a team and everyone is excited to have you back. The entire time Paris wanted you to be yourself again. They missed you. I can't wait to see Nino's face the next time Chat Noir saves Paris. He'll be ecstatic. You see? People do care about you."

"Thanks, my lady. You really know the purr-fect thing to say in any situation."

"We were having a serious conversation and you just ruined it with that stupid cat pun. You know that, right?"

"Of course. It's what I'm best at."

Marinette tried to frown, but instead broke into a smile. She couldn't be mad about the cat puns especially when saw it was Adrien who made them. It seemed so wrong, but also so right. Lovingly, she grabbed Adrien's arm and called over Tikki and Plagg. "We're going home!" she declared. "I'm exhausted and need something to eat."

"Cheese?" Plagg asked with an excited smirk.

"All the cheese you could ever want," Adrien laughed.

Adrien escorted Marinette home. Well, he escorted her to the side of the bakery where she had to sneak up the side wall and back into her bedroom. Her parents didn't know that she had run away during the night, saved all of Paris, and almost got herself killed. All that information would stress them out. They didn't need to know.

"Good-bye, Princess," Adrien smiled as he let go of Marinette's hand. "When will I see you again?"

"After I take a good nap," Marinette yawned. "I'm tired." She stood on her toes on kissed Adrien on the cheek. Since they were officially going out, she decided to be a bit gutsier and turn on some of that Ladybug charm. Somehow, she didn't feel so nervous around him anymore since she knew he was Chat Noir. Adrien's cheek heated up where Marinette's lips had touched. He looked like a nervous schoolboy.

Plagg poked his head out of Adrien's shirt. "Calm down there, Romeo," he snickered. "Or you'll scare your Juliet away."

Adrien said nothing as he stared lovingly as Marinette climbed up onto her balcony. She blew him a kiss and he pretended to catch it. She giggled and then entered her bedroom. Adrien watched here disappear with a lovestruck smile. He had only known Marinette was Ladybug for a few hours, but he had fallen in love with her all over again if that was even possible.

"Can we go home now?" Plagg moaned. He was tired and sore. Not to mention, he desperately needed some cheese. Some fine camembert would hit the spot nicely.

"I don't know if we can go home," Adrien sighed. "If my father is there, what'll we do? Our secret is out and so is his. I don't think either of us could handle seeing each other anymore. Maybe it's time to move out. I've had plans for awhile..."

Plagg rolled his eyes. "Stop being a drama queen and man up! Talk to your dad and let him explain himself. If anything happens, I've got your back, promise. You won't know what your dad has been thinking if you don't ask him."

A knot formed in Adrien's stomach. He had so many questions. It was heartbreaking to know that his father was Hawk Moth. He was an evil man who preyed on people's emotions, but what were his motives? Adrien doubted he could ever forgive his father, but they couldn't abandon each other either. They were each other's only family and Adrien believed that some tiny part of his father's heart must love him. Right?

"Let's go home then," Adrien smiled. Plagg did a somersault in glee. Home meant food! "I expect you to keep your promise though," Adrien warned. "Otherwise no cheese for a mouth." Plagg nodded his head in agreement. That was a deal he could make.

Adrien walked down the dark streets of Paris, dreading the moment he would return home. He checked his phone and was startled when he saw the news. What Happened to Ladybug? was what most of the headlines read. The articles detailed her battle against Chat Blanc ending with her possible demise. There was footage of him running away with her body. No one knew if she was alive or if he had been saved.

Plagg looked at Adrien's screen as he scrolled through the news. "Shouldn't you tell someone that you're both okay?" he asked. Adrien shrugged. He could leave his audience in suspense for a little bit. Besides, he had other, more important matters to deal with right now.

Adrien stepped up to the front of his house. He took a deep breath as he pushed open the heavy door. The house was dark, not a single light was turned on. If he was lucky, his father wouldn't be home yet. Marinette told him that he had been sent to the hospital after being attacked by Chat Blanc. He had been scratched up pretty bad, but he would live which was a relief.

Trying to stay quiet, Adrien walked through the main hall towards the kitchen. He needed to grab Plagg some cheese and then they could go to bed. Tomorrow would be a long day. They both needed some quality sleep. Adrien passed by the large staircase that led upstairs when he heard a familiar, cold voice.

"Adrien."

"Father?"

Adrien squinted and saw his father's figure at the top of the staircase. The man walked down the steps, approaching his son. Adrien felt his body stiffen either from fear or disgust. He couldn't tell.

Gabriel stood in front of his son in his usual proud manner though he had cuts on his face and probably bruises all over his body. He appeared slightly less professional than normal. His eyes were staring straight into Adrien's soul. Adrien braced himself for harsh words.

Then, his eyes softened as Gabriel hugged his son. Adrien gasped, taken completely by surprise. He couldn't remember the last time his father said anything kind to him, let alone hugged him. Adrien didn't return the hug. He was still upset with his father.

"I'm glad you're okay," Gabriel whispered. His voice was shaky and Adrien felt something wet land on his shoulder. Was his father crying?

"I'm glad you're okay too, father." Adrien pat his father on the back, hoping to control the crying. This was a strange, alien situation to him. His father was never emotional.

Gabriel pulled back and wiped his face with a handkerchief. "I apologize for that outburst," he said, trying to regain composure.

"It's fine," Adrien smiled. Seeing his father care so much sparked a fire in Adrien's heart. For once, he felt like he had a family. He bit his lip and hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to ruin this moment between them so quickly, but he couldn't wait any longer.

"Father, can we talk?"


	9. Moving Forward

Marinette walked into class and was immediately attacked by Alya as she had expected. "Girl, did you see what went down last night?" Alya exclaimed, waving her hands all over the place. "Chat Blanc and Ladybug almost fought each other to the death! Then with the power of love, Ladybug saved Chat Noir, but then she collapsed and the last time anyone saw her, Chat Noir was running away with her in his arms! This is freaking insane!"

"She's making it sound more dramatic than it was," Marinette thought. "But the big question is if Ladybug is still alive," Alya continued. "No one has seen her since last night. Paris is in a panic!"

And it wasn't just Alya talking about Ladybug. The entire class was in a uproar.

"Did you hear about Ladybug and Chat Noir?"

"Yeah, that was so scary! Do you think she's okay?"

"What are we going to do if she's hurt?"

"Everyone, quiet down!" Alya shouted at her classmates. She folded her arms and smiled. "You can all chill out since I have this!" Alya turned her phone around and had a video loaded. Her classmates crowded around wondering what Alya wanted to show them.

Marinette raised an eyebrow and Alya winked in response. She pressed play on the video and it to everyone's surprise, it was Ladybug on screen. She looked a little tired and had a few cuts, but for the most part was completely fine.

"Hello," Ladybug said as she struggled to adjust the camera. It shook around a bit, making the footage a bit blurry, but it eventually came back into focus. "Ah," Ladybug said with a satisfied grin. "That's much better. Anyways, it's me, Ladybug. I wanted to let you all know that I'm okay and everything's back to normal. All the support Chat Noir and I have gotten from the citizens of Paris has not gone unnoticed. We want to personally thank you all for what you've done for us. We'll keep fighting to protect you! And thanks to Alya for letting me post this on her blog. I really appreciate it!"

Ladybug waved good-bye to the camera and shut it off. The video ended and the students looked up at Alya with shocked eyes. "Ladybug sent this to you?" Rose asked, excitingly. "That's so cool!"

"I know," Alya said proudly. "She and I are pretty tight. If she needs help, she can always rely on me!"

Marinette tried to stifle her giggles. Alya had been a little too excited when she received that video from Ladybug last night. Marinette remembered trying to film it. She was awful with video cameras and ended up having to record the video three times. The first time, she was zoomed in way too close to her face and the second time she forgot to press the record button. It had been a hassle, but she wanted to let Paris know that she and Chat Noir were okay. They both owed their city that much.

"I guess this means Ladybug is a-okay!" Nino smiled. He gave Alya a fist bump in celebration. "Maybe we could go out for some ice cream to celebrate after school?" he winked. Alya nodded in agreement. "I think that could be arranged," she replied.

As Nino and Alya chatted to themselves, Marinette noticed Adrien walking into the classroom. He was later than normal, but she expected that. He had a long, stressful, and emotional night. She was honestly surprised he came to school at all. Marinette was happy to see him though. She could still hardly believe that Adrien was actually Chat Noir and that their feelings were mutual. She wasn't sure how to act around him at school anymore. Perhaps trying to not be a bumbling fool was a good place to start.

"Hey, bro!" Nino shouted when he saw Adrien. He put his arm around his best friend and said," We missed you yesterday. Were you home sick or somethin'?" It was a crazy day."

"Yeah?" Adrien smiled. "I... err... caught a cold and spent the day in bed. You'll have to get me up to speed. I'm still a little sick though, so I'm gonna sit down." Adrien went to his desk and took a seat. There was a distant look in his eyes. Marinette could tell there was something on his mind. His smile from before had been forced. He wasn't acting normal.

"Let's get started, class!" Miss Bustier clapped her hands together happily. "With everything back to normal, I think we can safely do our quiz! Everyone take out a pencil and paper." The class let out a loud groan. Maybe having things back to normal wasn't always for the best.

Lunchtime rolled around and the students began to leave to go eat lunch. "Sorry, Mari," Alya apologized as soon as the lunch bell rang. "I promised Nino we could go out to eat. He wanted to treat me since I got such a big scoop on Ladybug. Don't be mad!"

"It's okay," Marinette laughed. She noticed a slight blush on Alya's cheek. This was a little more than a lunch date. "Have fun and tell Nino that he has my blessing."

"You got it," Alya smiled. "You're the best friend ever! See you after lunch!" Alya ran out of the classroom to join Nino. They were walking with their hands interlocked and laughing to themselves. Marinette knew a while ago that it was only a matter of time since those two got together. Nino must have manned up and asked her out while Marinette was busy handling the situation with Chat Blanc.

Her eyes strayed over to Adrien who was still sitting at his desk. He was biting his lip and looked anxious. Marinette stood up and approached him. She put his hand on his back, trying to comfort him. It took a lot of courage to do that, but she needed to put his feelings first. She wanted him to know she was there to support him.

"Adrien, is everything okay? Do you need to talk?"

"Oh, it's you, Marinette. You scared me. Actually, I wanted to talk with you about something."

"..."

"It's not about what happened yesterday, don't worry!" To prove his point, he stood up and kissed her on the cheek, sending them both into blushing piles of mush. Marinette still wasn't used to Chat Noir's advances coming from Adrien and Adrien wasn't used to being able to openly kiss Marinette.

Adrien grabbed Marinette by the hand and led her out of the classroom. "Where are we going?" She asked as they exited the school. "Someplace quiet," he said. He took her to the park and they sat down on the green bench facing the fountain.

"It's about my father," Adrien said seriously. Marinette tightened up. She was expecting this conversation, but still didn't know how to handle it. It still seemed like a bad joke. Marinette could barely wrap her mind around it. She couldn't even imagine how Adrien was feeling. He had to be crushed.

"My father and I talked last night for the first time in years. When he saw that I was okay, he... he cried. I felt like for once, I actually had a real father. I finally felt like he cared about me."

"That's good, isn't it?"

"If only it was that simple, Princess. He told me why he did the things he did. He didn't want to be the bad guy, but he said that he was willing to play that role if it meant..."

"Meant what?" Marinette leaned on Adrien's shoulder and looked up at him. She could see him trying to think things through. As Chat Noir and Adrien, he had the same expression when thinking. Adrien opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Marinette stroked her hand across his, trying to calm him down. "Take your time," she whispered.

"He wanted to find my mother," Adrien said finally. Marinette's eyes widened. She didn't know much about Adrien's mother. Nino mentioned in passing that she had vanished, but she knew nothing more.

"He thought with the power of more miraculouses, he could find her. I want to see her again too, but that was selfish of him. He took advantage of our friends, your family, and innocent people to achieve his own goal. I can't forgive that..."

"It's okay to be upset," Marinette said. "You don't have to forgive him now. You don't even have to forgive him soon, but at least you understand now. I think your father held more love behind that emotionless mask of his than you think."

"Hmm..." Adrien sighed. "He promised to stop creating akumas. Once he saw what happened to me, he said he couldn't bring himself to do that to someone else again."

"I see..."

"Does that mean this is it for Ladybug and Chat Noir? I don't want to stop being Chat Noir. He's a giant part of my life. I don't want to give it up. When I'm him, I'm free..."

"This isn't the end, you silly cat," Marinette smiled. "We're Paris's superheroes. We'll protect this city from everything, not just akumas. I won't be forced into retirement that easily."

"Thanks, m'lady," Adrien said. "You always know the purr-fect thing to say." After a ridiculous cat pun, Adrien was silent again. Something else had overtaken his mind. "Now that all this has happened, I don't know if can be so carefree. It feels wrong to make jokes," he said quietly.

"Who are you and what have you done with Adrien?" Marinette said, sitting straight up. "Do you realize what just came out of your mouth? You're Chat Noir for heaven's sakes! You're the most carefree guy in the world. It's your job to tell jokes at inappropriate times."

"I'm just scared, you know, about the future. What if I mess up again? What if I..."

"Stop right there!" Marinette said, putting up her hand. "You won't mess up because you have me. I won't let you. It's part of my job, cat sitting. It's right there in the description. So relax..."

Adrien took in a deep breath and then smiled. He stood up and with a firm resolve, said, "You're right. We're a team after all. I trust that you won't let me get too far gone. I'll be counting on you, bugaboo."

"Even though we know each other's identities, you still don't have permission to call me 'bugaboo'."

"Do I have permission to do this?"

Adrien grabbed Marinette's waist and pulled her close. He quickly kissed her on the lips, catching her by surprise. She turned bright red. "Damn cat," she mumbled under her breath. Quiet snickers came from Adrien's shirt and Marinette's bag. Tikki and Plagg were definitely watching everything. Adrien knew Plagg would give him so much crap when they go home.

Adrien looked to his lady and into her beautiful, blue eyes. Now that they had found each other like this, he never wanted to be separated again.

"Will you let me stay by your side like this forever?" Adrien smiled. Marinette turned away, embarrassed by the question. It sounded like a proposal.

"Yes..." she whispered softly.

"What was that?" Adrien said, pretending to not be able to hear. "I couldn't hear that. Could you speak up?"

"Yes."

"Nope, still can't hear you, Princess."

"YES!"

"That's my girl!" Adrien landed a kiss on Marientte's cheek. She rolled her eyes. She let herself get roped into a long-time commitment, but she didn't mind. It would be a dream come true to be with Adrien forever.

"Let's go back to school," Adrien said, letting go of Marinette's waist. He grabbed her hand and the two headed back to school. "You owe me food," Marinette laughed as her stomach began to rumble. "We didn't get to eat lunch!"

"Anything you desire," Adrien bowed. "It'll have to be after school though. We don't have time to stop now. Class starts in five minutes."

"I'm going to hold you to that promise," Marinette smiled.

They went back into the classroom and were met by Alya and Nino. "How was your lunch date?" Marinette asked. Alya and Nino both blushed. "It was good..." Alya said slowly. Nino nodded in agreement. Adrien raised an eyebrow. "Am I missing something here?" He asked.

"Not a thing," Marinette laughed. Until Nino and Alya decided to come out publicly, Marinette would keep it a secret. Adrien deserved to hear about it first from his best friend. "I'm going to go sit down," Marinette said. She let go of Adrien's hand and walked away.

"See you later, my lady."

"Am I the one missing something now?" Nino leaned towards Alya and whispered. "They beat us to it," Alya pouted. "I mean, us going out wasn't really a secret, but I wanted to get some hype going before we announced everything, but it looks like Marinette and Adrien stole the show."

"Wait, are we like actually going out?"

Alya got on her toes and kissed Nino on the cheek. The boy turned red from head to toe. "Wow, you can be dense," Alya smiled. "Good thing I think that's cute."

Later that evening, Ladybug met Chat Noir on the Paris rooftops for a late night patrol. They had only been apart for a few hours. Adrien took Marinette out to eat after school ended and they ended up hanging out for a little while afterwards. They promised to meet up again later as Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Ladybug said, admiring the Paris skyline. "It'll stay like this for a while since there aren't going to be any baddies running around for some time."

"I guess we get a break for meow," Chat Noir chuckled. "So what do we do in the meantime?" Ladybug shrugged and said, "I don't know. I mean, there has to be something to do though."

"I could think of a few things." Chat Noir wiggled his eyebrows cheekily. Ladybug rolled her eyes and sighed. This idiot was the guy she was in love with. She had to be crazy.

All of a sudden, there was a blinding flash of yellow light coming from the area near the Eiffel Tower. "What the heck?" Ladybug exclaimed. "I thought you said your dad quit his job!"

"He did!" Chat Noir said. "Looks like someone else came to fill the vacancy and we're needed to go save the day, my lady!" Chat Noir had a giant grin. He was excited to be back. Ladybug put her hands on her hips and smiled. "What are you waiting for then?" She replied proudly. "Paris isn't going to save itself on its own!"


	10. Epilogue

The bell hanging above the bakery door jingled as a customer walked in. She was a tall, elegant woman with chocolate colored hair. The woman smiled as her eyes met with Marinette’s who was working at the register. Her parents had run out for a bit and needed someone to be in charge. Marinette was always happy to help out around the bakery. 

“Hello, Marinette,” the woman smiled, taking out her pocketbook. “You look lovely this morning. It was just your birthday, wasn’t it? How old did you turn?”

“Twenty-three,” Marinette laughed. “I feel like I’m getting old already.” Marinette had started to let her hair grow out. Right now, she had it up in a bun so her hair wouldn’t get into her face while working. It gave her a more professional aura though Marinette was anything but. Despite technically being an adult, she still retained many child-like qualities which Alya teased her about constantly. 

“Nonsense,” the woman teased. “You still have a long time especially with a cute face like that. Anyways, I’d like a dozen of your mother’s chocolate chip cookies. It’s a surprise for my son when he comes home from school!” 

“I’m sure he’ll love them.” Marinette picked out a dozen cookies and put them into a white paper bag for the woman. She tied it with a pink ribbon and handed them off. The woman paid for the cookies and then left, waving to Marinette as she walked through the door. Marinette waved until the customer was gone. 

It was fun to talk to customers. Though she couldn’t ever remember their names, somehow they always knew hers. Marinette could get into long conversations with them and she sometimes even held up the line. She could certainly be a social butterfly. 

“Did you check the news?” A woman eating at a nearby table asked their companion. The bakery had been slightly expanded to include a sitting area so customers would have a place to snack and relax. The man she was sitting with nodded and said, “I just did. Looks like Ladybug and Chat Noir saved the day again.”

“Isn’t Chat Noir so dreamy?” The woman swooned. “He has to be a model or something with looks like that. He’s absolutely perfect!” Her partner frowned and mumbled something under his breath. “How am I supposed to compete with that?” He muttered. 

The woman laughed and stood up. She pulled her companion out of his chair and through the door, thanking Marinette on the way. Marinette giggled after overhearing their conversation. She and Chat Noir always seemed to be in the news nowadays. If you walked by a random stranger, there was a good chance they were talking about Ladybug or Chat Noir. They were the city’s hottest topic and had been for a few years now. People were still on the hunt for their true identities, but no one seemed to be getting any closer. Marinette hoped to keep it that way. 

The bakery bell rang again as Alya came sprinting into the bakery. “Marinette! Marienette!” Alya cried as she raced to the counter. She almost toppled over the entire thing, but Marinette caught her. Alya returned to her feet and rummaged around excitingly through her purse for her cellphone. Marinette noticed Nino waltz into the bakery, looking a bit exhausted. It was hard to match Alya’s energy. He had probably been dragged along despite his objections. 

“Did you check out my newest blog post?” Alya asked. She pulled up her blog’s main webpage where there was a giant photo of Ladybug. “I think I’m close to discovering Ladybug’s true identity!”

“Isn’t that what you said last time?” Marinete asked with a raised eyebrow. “She did,” Nino interjected with a raised hand. “And the time before that. And the time before that too.” 

“It’s for real this time,” Alya pouted. “Look at this pic.” Alya zoomed in on a photo of Ladybug eating a chocolate chip cookie. Marinette didn’t know where or how Alya had gotten a picture like that, but she rolled with it. “Wow, Alya!” Marinette said sarcastically. “Ladybug likes cookies? That really narrows it down.” 

“I’m not finished. I recognize those cookies. They clearly come from this bakery!” Alya slammed her fist down on the counter in triumph. Nino rolled his eyes and put his hand on Alya’s shoulder. “That’s why we came,” he sighed. “She wanted to know if anyone who looked like Ladybug had come by recently.” 

“Can’t say I’ve seen anyone like that,” Marinette apologized. “But maybe she’ll come by again. I’ll keep an eye out,” she winked. She was impressed that Alya had been able to track her location based on a cookie. Those were some super sleuth skills worthy of the great Sherlock Holmes. 

“You’re the best, Mari!” Alya smiled. She reached across the counter and hugged her friend. Nino smiled at the display of friendship. No matter what age, those two girls never stopped being adorable. 

“So what’s the haps, Marinette?” Nino asked. “Alya and I haven’t seen you in a while. You’ve been so busy.”

“Well, I was going to keep this a secret for a little bit longer, but I think I can spill the beans just for you two.”   
Alya and Nino looked at her suspiciously. “My newest design will be premiering at Gabriel Agreste’s next fashion show!” Marinette squealed proudly. Alya began to scream in joy as well causing Nino to cover his ears. 

“Way to go!” Alya congratulated. “That’s like your dream and it’s finally coming true!” 

“Finally,” Marinette smiled. “I feel like I’m the last one. Everyone else has already gone out and done so much. I mean, look at you and Nino. You’re one of the head journalists of the newspaper and Nino’s already got a record label. That’s seriously insane!” 

“I guess you’re right...” Alya said, thinking to herself. “Speaking of everyone, what have they all been up to?” 

“Isn’t Max still attending that crazy prestigious technology school?” Marinette said. “And Nathanael has that art exhibit coming up which we’ll have to get tickets for soon. Kim and Alix are dating now and I think both qualified for some big sports event downtown.”

“Last I heard, Ivan and Mylene moved out to the countryside,” Nino added. “Ivan said it was good for Mylene’s nerves or something. It’s supposed to be super chill out there.” 

“And I just got a call from Rose the other day,” Alya said. “She and Juleka bought an apartment together just around the corner actually and are doing super great.”

“What about the devious duo?” Nino asked with a raised eyebrow. Marinette laughed and said, “Well, Sabrina got a job as the assistant of the mayor, so she’s done pretty well for herself. She and Chloe are still friends, but I think she’s learned what true friendship really is. It definitely took her long enough.”

“What about Chloe?” Alya asked. She pretended to gag and the entire group broke into giggles. Then, the bakery phone began to ring and Marinette quickly picked it up off the wall. “Hello?” She said in a sweet tone. “This is the Tom and Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie, can I help you?” 

“It’s me,” the voice on the other end said. “Will those cupcakes be ready for my party tomorrow?” 

“Yes, Chloe,” Marinette laughed. “They’re almost done, promise. You wanted them to be canary yellow, right?”

“You got it. Thanks Marinette. You’re a lifesaver.”

“Anytime. Take care.”

“You too.”   
Marinette hung up the phone and Alya asked who that was. “Just Chloe,” Marinette said. “She wanted to check up on her order for tomorrow. She’s a little stressed and wanted to make sure everything was perfect. I know the feeling.”

“That was Chloe?” Nino exclaimed. “But she sounded so nice. Is this some kind of prank?”

“Chloe’s started to come around,” Marinette smiled. “Since her father’s term ended, she’s kind of gotten a harsh dose of reality, but it’s good for her. She’s actually tolerable now. We’ve eaten had coffee together on a few occasions.”

“I won’t believe it ‘till I see it,” Alya replied cautiously. “That girl was way screwed up during middle school. I’m still not over that almost getting expelled thing.” 

Marinette noticed Nino looking around the bakery. “Looking for something?” Marinette asked. “We’ve gotten every kind of fresh baked bun or sweet treat you could ever want. Take your pick. It’s on the house.” Marinette gestured at the display case of goodies, receiving a hungry glance from Alya. 

“Actually, I was wondering where the lucky man is hiding,” Nino confessed. “Where is my best bro? I need to congratulate him.” 

“I’m right here, Nino. Gimme a sec,” a deep voice came from the stairwell. Adrien came walking down the stairs, carrying a giant box. He was taller now, but had the same handsome face. His hair had grown out slightly more and there was more muscle on his bones. Adrien sat the box down and turned to Marinette. 

“Is it okay if I leave this here?”

“Sure thing,” Marinette smiled. “I’ll get to it once my parents get back.” Adrien grinned and walked over to the chatting friends. He gave Marinette a kiss on the cheek and then gave Nino a fist bump. “Good to see you, man!” Adrien said. “It’s been too long.” 

“It’s been less than a week,” Alya rolled her eyes. “Exactly,” Nino laughed. “Way too long for bros. Now show me those rings.” Marinette and Adrien held out their hands so Alya and Nino could admire the engagement rings on their fingers. Both rings were silver and had tiny engravings on the inside that only Marinette and Adrien knew about. 

“They’re beautiful!” Alya said in awe. “I wish Nino would man up and propose like you Adrien. I’m getting tired of waiting.” 

“I told you I’m working on it,” Nino grumbled. “So when’s the big day?”

“Sometime next spring,” Marinette answered. “Everyone is invited. Even Adrien’s mom is coming. It’s going to be so much fun! I’m so excited!” 

“You two are so cute,” Alya giggled. “I remember when you could hardly get out a word when Adrien was within 10 feet and now look how far you’ve come. I’m so proud!” Marinette blushed at remembering how clumsy and awkward she had been in front of Adrien while in middle school. She was still that way sometimes, but both she and Adrien laughed it off. He said it was one of her “endearing qualities”. 

“If you think that’s bad,” Adrien smiled, feeling a bit nostalgic. “I had a crush on her for months before saying anything. Talk about embarrassing.” 

Nino and Alya’s eyes both widened. “You did?” Nino asked with a look of suprise. “You must have pretty good at hiding it dude. I swear you had a crush on Lad-”

“Ah, that’s enough about the past,” Marinette said quickly, cutting Nino off. “Anyways, you two should get going. Alya, didn’t you say you had that report to finish before midnight when you texted earlier?”

“I totally forgot! Thanks Mari. C’mon Nino, let’s go.” 

Marinette handed Nino a small bag of fresh croissants and smiled. Nino shrugged as he followed an anxious Alya out of the bakery. Adrien and Marinette laughed as their friends left in a panic. Somethings never changed. 

“Aren’t we also busy tonight, my lady?” Adrien grinned devilishly. He ran his hand through his hair, making it a bit messier. Despite growing up, he never lost his flirtatious nature. Plagg came flying out from Adrien’s shirt with an annoyed expression. “Can we quit it with the sly comments?” He moaned. “She’s already your fiancee. Stop trying so hard. Sheesh.” 

“Plagg, cut it out,” Tikki retorted, appearing from Marinette’s purse. It was the same purse Marinette had been using since the beginning. Tikki considered it a second home. “They’re cute. Leave them alone,” Tikki explained. “You’re just jealous.”

“Am not!”

“Are too!” 

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Okay, let’s calm down,” Marinette giggled. She stroked Tikki on the head and gave her a wink. Marinette secretly thought that Plagg was jealous. She noticed all those sneaky glances at Tikki over the years. It was up to Plagg to have the guts to say something. Maybe if Marinette bribed him with cheese, he would be more inclined to confess his feelings. 

Marinette turned back to Adrien and said, “I do believe we made plans for tonight, kitty.” She smiled when all of a sudden there was a loud noise from outside the bakery. Marinette walked over to the window and looked out with a frown. “Again with this guy?” She groaned. “If I were him, I’d have given up by now, but he just keeps coming back for more. Maybe he just really likes getting his butt kicked?”

“It looks like we’ll have to reschedule those plans for tonight,” Adrien sighed. He had put a lot of thought into the dinner he planned for his special princess. They were going to a fancy restaurant and we supposed to meet up with his parents afterwards, but that would have to wait. That was one of the downsides of being a superhero. Villains didn’t try to work around your schedule. They kind of did whatever they wanted when they wanted. 

Tikki came flying out of Marinette’s purse and sat on her shoulder. “Shall we get going then?” The tiny creature asked. Plagg pouted and crossed his arms. “Fine. But I expect a lot of cheese when we get back.”

“Tikki, spots on!”

“Plagg, claws out!”


End file.
